


Kintsugi

by Yemi Hikari (Yemi_Hikari)



Series: Open Novella [9]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Contest Entry, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Family Secrets, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Karura (Naruto) Lives, Open Novella Contest, Open Novella Contest 2020, Prophetic Dreams, Tragedy Pieces
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 22,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25266448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yemi_Hikari/pseuds/Yemi%20Hikari
Summary: Gaara worked hard at putting together the pieces missing since Yashimaru's death, yet soon after becoming the next Kazekage of the village - one of his steps to piece together his life as the village's protector - he discovers a secret which changes everything.
Relationships: Baki & Gaara (Naruto), Gaara & Kankurou (Naruto), Gaara & Karura (Naruto), Gaara & Temari (Naruto), Kankuro & Karura (Naruto), Kankurou & Temari (Naruto), Temari & Karura (Naruto)
Series: Open Novella [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828204
Kudos: 6
Collections: (General) Open Novella 2020, Naruto: Gaara's Grandmother, Naruto: Kazekage Family Line, Naruto: Rasa Lives, Platonic Relationships, Siblings





	1. Truth and Lies

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer - I don't own Naruto. This is one of nine stories I wrote for Open Noella 2020. This story made it through the first round, but not the second. The prompt I picked for this story was number four, "when something tragic happens, it's often said we lose a piece of ourselves. How far would you go to find these lost parts of yourself in order to be whole again?". The idea for the fic was for the story to take place at a time Gaara think's he is whole.

"Can I see Gaara?"

She'd asked the question multiple times, yet every single time Rasa looked at her in a way he'd never looked at her before. Pity was one of the words which came to mind, yet sadness was another.

"He's going to save this village one day."

"You've said that before." Rasa glanced away, letting out a deep breath. "I doubt it will ever be true."

"Why wouldn't my Gaara save the village one day? I made sure he would survive did I not?"

"If you can call that living." Rasa looked her in the eye, this time revealing the disappointment he felt. His looks rarely if ever phased her even though she knew he disliked the way she brushed everything away, insisting Gaara would one day save the village. If Rasa weren't Rasa he might shed a tear.

"What do you mean by that?" She tilted her head, sitting on the bed in the mental ward of the understaffed Suna hospital, waiting patiently for someone to come to their senses and let her out. It never happened in the many, many years she'd been there, but the few visitors she had dwindled slowly. "It's getting closer you know. The day he'll save the village with his own strength."

"Strength." Rasa let out a deep breath. "I've let a lie slip from my tongue. I wrote this lie down on paper so it would become truth. I did this, because what you did..." Rasa shook his head, his auburn-haired locks moving with the swift movement. "It was the most tragic day in my life, but I lost a part of myself, but I didn't just lose a piece of myself. I lost pieces of my family."

"Rasa..."

"Don't." He held up a calloused hand, closing his eyes. "I told a lie thinking hiding the truth would protect that missing piece, or what I thought embodied the missing part of myself and my family. Gaara. I turned Gaara into a monster instead, so there you have the truth. He won't be saving this village ever."

"You lie."

"I know what I know."

"You may know what you know Rasa, but I know what I know. My Gaara will save this village."

"I can't deal with this. Not today."

The door to her room in the mental ward closed behind him. She waited for him to come back as he did every so often, but he didn't come back. Instead, Rasa became yet another person who stopped visiting her. The few who remained were those in charge of her personal care; more specifically, Rasa, the Kazekage of the village placed in charge of her, making sure nobody knew where she was. Time passed, the door finally opening to reveal an auburn head of hair.

The auburn head of hair – though – wasn't Rasa, though he did wear the robes of the Kazekage. The person was smaller than the man, thinner even, but his eyes weren't dark like Rasa's eyes were. Instead, the pair of eyes looking at her were seafoam green in color. More importantly, she recognized the person in front of her, yet she felt as if a missing piece was no longer missing.

"Gaara."

  



	2. Secret Kept

Gaara's fingers glided gently over the edge of the desk in front of him. The piece of furniture once belonged to his father who died over two years ago. The lack of Rasa's presence in his life anymore felt strange, to say the least.

" _I don't get why you miss him_ ," Kankuro once said. " _He was constantly a thorn in your side, but the reason you were as messed up as you were was because of him. If he'd actually acted like a father, it wouldn't have taken you six whole years to pick up the pieces of yourself after Uncle Yashimaru..._ "

His older brother didn't finish. In part, Gaara's two older siblings blamed themselves for blaming Gaara for the death of their uncle, having not known over those six years exactly what the man said that day, among other things. Temari, his older sister, quickly followed up Kankuro's sudden pause with her own words.

" _I don't care that one of our village's goals is to raise strong shinobi. Tormenting the child you've raised their entire life by telling you hate them, that their mother never loved them and then killing yourself in front of said child is wrong._ "

" _He didn't lie._ "

Neither of his older siblings liked his response, quickly chewing him out for being too easy on those who tormented him when he was a child, only for the oldest of the three – Temari – to point say, " _Except that's what we love about you. You like looking for the good in everyone you meet, not to mention their potential. It doesn't change the fact that part of you got lost for six years. It doesn't change the fact Kankuro and I lost you for that – no, twelve whole years._ "

" _Yeah. We should have gotten to know you, but they didn't let us._ "

" _Then you shouldn't blame yourself._ "

Temari ruffled his auburn locks of hair. " _When did you become so wise?_ "

"That's why you're now the Kazekage, even though most of the council of elders think otherwise."

Gaara looked up at the sound of his teacher's voice. " _Sensei_."

"You don't have to call me that anymore. After all, you're the Kazekage."

"You'll always be my _sensei,_ but I've still a lot to learn. I'm only fourteen after all."

Baki let out a sigh, his turban-like headgear covering his left eye. "That's what I'm talking about. You're wise for your age, but you were thinking of that day Temari and Kankuro last talked to you about missing Lord Rasa, correct?"

"Am I wrong for missing him?"

The man pushed himself away from the doorway he leaned against and walked towards the desk which once belonged to the man they now talked about. He leaned over, his hands gripping the edge of the desk, the corner of his mouth twisting in a smile, a stark contrast from the normal seriousness on his face.

"I don't think you knew the man well enough to truly decide for yourself whether you miss him or not, but that's what you really miss. I also don't think you're wrong for wanting the love and affection of your father. Temari and Kankuro are also coming from a place where the did get to experience that love and affection to some degree, but they're questioning why anybody would deprive you of that experience."

Gaara's eyes blinked, confusion appearing on his normally emotionless face. "Don't you understand why?"

Baki stood up straight, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. He still smiled at Gaara, though now there seemed some kind of sadness in his eyes. "Do I? You're talking about the fact you have the Shukaku sealed inside of you, but that this made you a danger to the village. I understand where your logic is going. However, one can also logically go in the direction that the danger you posed was something of our own making, something we could have avoided."

The young Kazekage turned his head, looking out the glass window that looked out over the desert village of Suna. "I don't blame anybody for that."

"Sounds like you've finally put together the pieces of yourself you'd lost, but you've come quite far, becoming Kazekage. Certain council elders think putting you into this position means they'll have a young Kazekage they can manipulate, yet they wouldn't even think of doing such a thing if the village hadn't grown to love you the way it does in the last couple of years." Baki glanced down at the desk, one hand resting on top. "They're right in saying you're going to be a different kind of Kazekage from your father. They just don't know yet what they've gotten into."

"I guess." Gaara looked down at the desk in front of him. "Nobodies been in here since he died?"

Baki took a deep breath, pulling away slightly which in turn made Gaara look up at the man. "It didn't feel right, particularly when we saw the imposter hadn't touched anything in this room. Someone did come in and clean the place, knowing full well a new Kazekage would be taking over this office. They were always supervised, so nobodies taken anything belonging to your father from the place. That said, you may not like what you find."

Gaara's eyes drifted back down. "I know that. I think that's the final thing I need to do, to find the final missing pieces and put things back together, no matter how painful it is."

"I don't want to intrude, so I'll be down at the training grounds keeping your siblings out of your hair if you need me."

"Thank you, _sensei_." Gaara remained standing there after Baki left, looking down at the desk. He wasn't sure when he decided to open the first drawer, but he finally did. He saw a book sitting in the drawer, possibly containing notes written down by his father. Hesitantly, he reached for the book, telling himself Rasa might have left some information that might help him be the Kazekage his people needed.

What he found when he turned to the last entry was completely unexpected.

" _I stopped by the mental ward at the hospital today. It's infuriating she doesn't understand how much she's hurt Gaara with what she did all those years ago. I had to leave before I said or did something I'd regret. She's one of the last people I'd ever want to hurt despite what she did, yet I can't forgive her for what she did._ "

Gaara's seafoam colored eyes stared at the words in front of him. A dull ache started up, one he didn't quite understand beyond the fact his mental image of his father was someone who put the village and being a Kazekage first, which in turn meant he didn't feel any amount of protectiveness towards the child he'd turned into a weapon, yet here – here he saw the words of someone who apparently did care.

He carefully closed the book and stood up from the chair he'd sat down in ever so briefly and placed the item back in the drawer. His destination was the hospital, more specifically the mental ward.

"Lord Kazekage?" The medical-nin in charge was surprised to see him, Gaara could tell.

"The previous Kazekage. He visited a patient here." Gaara watched the man's facial features twist in fear, something he once invoked simply by utilizing the powers he'd gained from being the host of the tailed beast – Shukaku.

"I don't think..." The man stopped short in what he was saying, almost if contemplating what he should actually say. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to visit her."

"Visiting her was apparently important to the previous Kazekage."

"It's not as if..." The man paused, swallowing. "She's not important to the running of Suna, Lord Kazekage."

Gaara felt his hands clench, yet he didn't understand what emotion caused this. "She was important to my father."

"It's not really something you should worry yourself about."

"Shouldn't I be the one to decide that? Besides, how can I get to know what kind of person my father was and learn from him if I don't know?"

"I..." The man glanced away. "You're not going to let this go, are you."

"No."

"Then, please. Don't blame me for whatever happens because of this."

"I won't." Gaara didn't understand why the man would say such a thing; instead, he focused on the fact the man led him to a room and opened the door.

His eyes widened slightly upon seeing the woman in the room, his mouth opening, but before he could say anything, she said his name.


	3. Recognition

"Gaara."

A pair of seafoam green eyes opened and closed. As he did, the look of surprise and excitement on the woman's face faltered, her smile turning into a frown.

"You don't recognize me." She reached one hand up so she might brush a strange of sandy-blond hair away from her violet-colored eyes. She let out a deep breath, glancing away while she sat on the bed located in the small room. "Of course not. I mean, this would be the first time you've seen me since..."

"Mother." His seafoam eyes opened and closed again, examining the woman carefully. Her hair – it was now longer than the shoulder-length hair he'd seen in pictures of her, yet he definitely recognized the face in front of him. "You're my mother."

The reason he only knew her from pictures, rare as they were, was because his mother was dead, or so he'd been told so many times. He stiffened slightly, remembering all too well the person who talked to him the most about his mother was Yashimaru, his mother's younger brother – the one who...

The fact he recognized her didn't bring her smile back. "Gaara, where is your father?"

Gaara's eyes widened slightly, before glancing down at the ground, preferring to remain silent. The beast sealed inside him, on the other hand, decided now was a rather amusing time to pipe up inside of Gaara's head. " _What? You're not going to tell her about the old man or Yashimaru?_ "

" _Why now Shukaku?_ "

" _Well, I wasn't exactly expecting her to be alive either, was I?_ "

"Something must have happened. After all, you're wearing the robes of the Kazekage. That means..." The sound of the woman drawing in her breath made Gaara glance up. The pained look on her face made the emotions milling around in his head worsen.

" _Don't worry. I won't try to take over or cause trouble._ "

Shukaku's words didn't seem one bit reassuring, given the past. Gaara swallowed. "You..."

"If you're Kazekage, then Kankuro is dead as well?"

Gaara's eyes blinked. "I don't understand."

"What do you mean?"

"Shouldn't Temari be the next Kazekage if the council elders picked based on who was the eldest?" Gaara watched a smile spread across her face. His mouth opened slightly, yet quickly closed upon deciding not to ask what he'd done to make her mood change.

"Thank goodness. All three of you are alive."

"I don't understand." He watched her violet eyes blink in confusion. "You hate me."

"Hate you?"

"You named me Gaara, the demon who loves only himself."

"That's not what your name means." His mother's mouth twisted into a frown. Her hands clutched the edge of the bed and she leaned forward. "Your name means the demon loved by me. I took the kanji, "ra", which means demon from your father's name, although it does appear in my name as well. I did that because I wanted your name to represent the fact I love both you and your father."

"What..."

" _Well, that's rather ironic, given how much of a monster the old man was._ "

" _She says she loves him. She loves him despite the fact he sacrificed her to seal you in me._ "

" _Yeah. She doesn't exactly look sacrificed to me._ "

Karura's lips pushed together, something obviously frustrating her. "Gaara, who told you otherwise?"

" _It was Yashimaru._ "

" _Oh. I guess you do have to tell her you killed him._"

"I've got to go." His throat felt tight, his mind burning with guilt – guilt for what he did to not only Yashimaru but others over those six years he'd lost all of those pieces of himself.

"Gaara..."

There was no getting around the fact the pieces he thought he'd found and put together were now falling out of place, but for all the personal growth he'd gone through since Naruto literally knocked some sense into him, he couldn't stick around. His hands clenched together as did his mouth, the guilt racking his brain.

So did the voice of Shukaku as Gaara rode his cloud of sand. " _What do you hate more, being alone again or being a disappointment to those you care most about? Or does this have to do with having to relive the feeling of learning your mother doesn't love you because she learns you're such a disappointment? It isn't as if her finding out would leave you alone, let alone unloved._ "

Gaara's eyes narrowed, his arms crossing his chest as he arrived home, his sand going back into the gourd he used for carrying the sand he used in battle and other, everyday tasks. One hand reached out, opening up the door. He found Kankuro sitting at the table cleaning one of his puppets while Temari bustling around the kitchen settling dinner onto the table, making him wonder how much time passed when he left the mental ward and arrived home.

Neither noticed him enter, which wasn't unusual. Gaara stood in the doorway of the kitchen, sucking in a deep breath. "I saw mother."

Kankuro didn't bother looking up, but Temari froze for a few seconds, before setting what she was carrying down on the counter instead of the table. "Are you feeling okay?" She stepped over, touching her forehead against his, placing her hands onto his shoulders, something she wouldn't have been able to do a few years ago. "You're not running a fever."

"I..." Gaara's seafoam color eyes opened and closed. Temari looked like Karura; Temari's eyes were teal instead of violet, and she was much larger in the chest area, yet the resemblance was definitely there. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, Temari. He's fine. I don't know why you're acting like he saw mom alive and well when he more than likely just saw a picture of her that the old man kept.

"If you need me to go through his things..." Temari pulled her head away so she might look at Kankuro.

Kankuro leaned back in his chair, continuing his cleaning duties. "Don't look at me. I wanted to just throw his stuff into the trash."

"I can handle it. Sorry for making you worry." Gaara glanced away, feelingslightly awkward. He'd not stopped to think how his older siblings would reactbut found himself glad he didn't just come out and say Karura was alive _._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What was Karura talking about when referencing the kanji in Gaara, Rasa and her name? Her name, when written in Japanese is 加流羅. Rasa's name is written as羅砂 . Gaara's is written as 我愛羅. 羅 Is the common kanji between all three names, but is often used in the names of demons, often signifying this "ra" is a demon of such and such. While the other part is translated in canon as "who loves oneself", the translation of oneself for 我 as "oneself", "self" or "ego" is actually used less frequently than the word "I" or "me". Given the fact Yashimaru was lying when he told Gaara his name meant "demon who loves only himself", it is also far more likely Karura meant "demon loved by me".


	4. Gnawing Feeling

His mother loved him.

The concept felt unreal, completely foreign.

Despite feeling glad he'd not told his two older siblings he'd really did run into their mother instead of finding a picture of her in the office, the gnawing, unpleasant feeling which started when his mother – the stranger in _that_ room – corrected him regarding the meaning of his name. In fact, the relief he felt from Temari and Kankuro not thinking he was going insane dissipated as realization sunk in, he wasn't telling his siblings the truth.

The gnawing, unpleasant feeling grew when Temari and Kankuro retired for the night, leaving him alone in his world of insomniac thoughts – there was nothing that distracted him from thinking about the day's earlier events. Every so often his wrist of his dominant side flexed so he might wiggle his fingers, almost as if seeking to become the sand to his bidding despite the fact the grains already did so.

His mind didn't stay still, thoughts rattling around in his head. " _Why is she in there?_ "

" _How should I know? I never could guess the logic behind your father's actions._ "

" _His actions... he seemed concerned that she'd hurt me somehow._ "

" _Rather ironic, isn't it, given how much he hurt you growing up._ "

" _It was for the good of the village._ "

" _Don't give me that bull._ "

His restlessness peaked, making him start roaming like he sometimes did with his many bouts with insomnia. He didn't decide on any direction consciously, yet he quickly picked up on the fact he was headed towards the hospital again rather out into the desert. Without any kind of hesitation, he walked into the hospital, his Kazekage robes left at home. One of the doctors recognized him, a different one from before.

"Lord Kazekage, you shouldn't be here."

"I already know my mother's here."

"I mean it's late at night and everyone's asleep."

"Why is she here?"

"I'm not at liberty to say."

Gaara's seafoam colored eyes opened and closed. "So..."

"I really am not allowed to say, even though you are the Kazekage and a family member."

"I see. I'll be back in the morning."

This time he headed out to the desert so he might practice utilizing his sand, allowing the grains to form various shapes, distracting his anxious mind from the secret he discovered let alone the fact there was no mistaking the fact his entire perception of self was falling apart. He didn't stop until warm sunlight rose up, peaking out indicating the arrival of the next morning.

The distraction didn't keep him from thinking – so many things bothering him regarding the discovery. " _Why? Why is she in the mental ward? What did she do to warrant that? What did she do to make Rasa angry at her?_ "

" _Careful. You might not like what you hear. I mean, yesterday she told you that your name didn't mean what it meant, but that you'd been lied to about her loving you._ "

" _I don't care._ "

" _Yes, you do._ "

If he didn't have the tailed beast sealed inside him, someone might think he was mental hearing the voice in his head. Yet, he couldn't dismiss the fact he did – for a while, have a complete psychotic break from reality, one which lasted for quite a few years. The thought his mother, in fact, had a similar experience was honestly unsettling – it didn't fit the image he had of her from his earlier childhood.

The doctor from the day before didn't seem pleased to see him there. "Lord Kazekage."

"I'd like to see my mother."

"Understood." The doctor took a deep breath, leading the way to Karura's room with obvious reluctance. He opened the door. "You have a visitor again."

Gaara peered into the room, watching her mouth twist into a smile. "Gaara."

She patted the edge of the bed, indicating he should come in and sit down beside her, yet he didn't – he simply stepped into the room. He swallowed. "I need to know."

"I told you the truth. Regarding your name."

"Not that. Why are you here? Why was Rasa...."

"Father. Call him your father." Karura's mouth twisted into a frown, indicating her insistence on the matter.

"Why was father angry at you?"

"Why? Because I sealed Shukaku into you."

"I..." Gaara's eyes closed. He swallowed. "That's not possible."

"I'm sorry Gaara. I know that's a lot to take in, particularly since it couldn't have been easy for you, being a _jinchuriki_."

"No. That's not it. Father was the one..."

"Rasa? Rasa wanted to go against what the council wanted."

"So, you went with what the council wanted?" Gaara swallowed, his eyes opening so he might look at his feet.

"No. It had nothing to do with the council. You were needed to save the village one day."

"Me?" Gaara swallowed. As Kazekage, it certainly was his role to keep the village safe, yet he couldn't imagine how he could – as a _jinchuruki_ – have been seen as some kind of savior. Becoming the Kazeekage, sometimes he wondered if the reason the council picked him wasn't because he was the most qualified, or if it meant they could keep a better eye on him. Her words didn't help his own personal doubts.

"Yes, you silly. I saw it. It will happen soon."

Gaara took in a deep breath. "I...."

"Need some time to think about this?" Kakura's words made him look her in the eye.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

Gaara left the room again, feeling he was running away from the situation again, a tide of emotions rushing over him. He headed towards the office, his mind a complete fog.

"Lord Kazekage?"

"Sensei?" Gaara found himself glancing up at Baki, his eyes widening slightly. The man stood against the wall, his arms crossed, similar to how Rasa sometimes stood looking at Gaara when he'd messed up. However, while Rasa's face remained stern, Baki's indicated worry.

"I've heard you've been going to the mental ward at the hospital."

"That..." Gaara's eyes blinked. "Mother's alive."

"Gaara..."

"Father put her there because she's the one who sealed Shukaku in me."

"Are you sure you're not trying to shift blame onto her because of your regrets regarding your father?"

"She..." Gaara contemplating telling Baki he should go and check himself, yet in the back of his mind, he wondered if the doctors would let Baki see her, let alone admit she was there even if Baki said he was there under orders of the Kazekage. "Never mind." He opened the drawer, seeing the book he'd found earlier. He picked it up, opening it to the entry, holding it out to Baki. "Here. This is why I went to the mental ward."

One of Baki's eyebrows shot up, yet he approached, taking the book from him. "This..." Baki took a deep breath. "It's still hard to believe." The man looked up at Gaara. "It's still sinking in for you, isn't it?"

"Yes." Gaara glanced away. "Among other things." Telling Baki did nothing to make the gnawing feeling of discomfort go away.


	5. Acting on Contemplation

"There's someone I want you to meet."

Baki, of course, didn't know what Gaara should do regarding the situation, something Gaara asked by putting forth a few words, yet in the back of his mind – Gaara felt guilty for not letting his siblings know. His mind fumbled over the guilt he felt, carefully contemplating the given situation like he did any situation.

One of the first conclusions he'd come to was the fact he didn't know how Kankuro would react if he knew, particularly given the manner his older brother reacted whenever their father came up, the fury Kankuro felt regarding their father's manipulations regarding Gaara's life. He'd said nothing to Baki, not having to say so, feeling this went without saying. There was also no getting around the fact one of the so-called manipulations of their father was something their mother did.

On the other, he also knew he couldn't decide regarding his mother on his own. The idea his mother loved him – that was outside of his personal understanding just as much as the idea she was the one who sealed Shukaku into him before he was born. With the fact Baki didn't know what to do – even needed to look into the situation more, and the fact Kankuro would likely react negatively left only one person.

Temari.

"Temari."

When he got his life on the right track, he learned his older sister was a major push over for her baby brother, as his older brother liked putting it. "Yes? Do you need anything?"

"There's someone I want you to meet."

"Oh?" Temari tilted her head, her curiosity obviously perked, her mouth twisting down slightly. "This wouldn't happen to be a girl?"

"If you're asking if they are female, yes." Gaara, of course, couldn't read what Temari was thinking. "Promise me you won't be mad at them?"

"Mad at them? Why would I be mad at them?" Temari's mouth twisted slightly as she obviously contemplated what he said.

He turned on his heels, heading out the door so they could head towards the hospital, stopping when he realized his older sister wasn't following. He tilted his head back so he could look at her. "Well, are you coming?"

"Well, okay. Doesn't look like you're giving me much of an option." Temari let out a sigh, following after him with little reluctance in her step, but smiling – the smile reminded him of the way their mother smile, which in turn made him flinch. From behind him, he heard his older sister say, "Gaara, is something the matter?"

"I don't think so." That was the honest truth. He didn't think there was anything wrong with the situation, yet there might be something he couldn't discern that his older could. He simply needed her not to be angry at their mother. He started walking, his ears picking up on her footsteps from behind, while Shukaku thankfully remained silent regarding the subject, almost as if he were waiting to pounce at the right moment with some kind of commentary regarding how everything went wrong.

He stopped outside the hospital, making sure Temari caught up with him. She looked up at the place, frowning. "So..."

"Question?"

"Did one of your fangirls get to close and get hurt by your sand? That doesn't make sense, does though, given the fact you've quite a bit of control over your sand, so I'm confused."

Gaara turned, his seafoam green eyes looking into his sister's teal eyes, pondering only briefly why she might have come to this conclusion before continuing on his way. He heard his older sister let out a sigh, yet he knew she followed behind him. She didn't speak until they started approaching the mental ward.

"Gaara..."

He turned, hearing the worry in her voice. "Something the matter..."

"When you said you wanted me to meet someone..."

"It's someone in the mental ward. Promise you won't be angry with her?" Gaara started walking towards the room where their mother was without a single hesitation.

"Um, Gaara. Why would I be angry at this person?"

"She's the one who sealed Shukaku in me."

"Gaara, father was the one who did that."

"No. She's the one who did it."

"Well, I guess she could be the one who physically did it."

"I think she meant she was the one who made the decision."

"Wh..." Temari's voice trembled. "Gaara, on top of the fact I think the doctors are uncomfortable with us being here, nobody has that kind of power. By that I mean the power to go against the kazekage, right?"

"I think there is one person." Gaara paused at the door, noting that the doctor he first met followed them, definitely looking uncomfortable like Temari said. He'd become used to this from his previous two visits. "Promise you won't be mad at her?"

"Why? Why are you wanting me to meet her?"

"Because I don't know what to do. I need your help. Please?"

Temari's body relaxed. "Okay. I promise not to get angry at whoever she is."

Gaaraopened the door, but over his shoulder heard a gasp from his older sister.


	6. Maternal Reality

Her job as his older sister was to worry about his wellbeing, particularly given the fact they were orphans; their mother died in childbirth, their father because of political ministrations of another village, thus leaving nobody to guide and nurture Gaara through the intricacies of social life. The fact Gaara _wanted_ to go through their Rasa's things bothered her, given how inclined the man was to nurture his youngest as a weapon the village might use rather than as a living individual, yet she couldn't deny the fact Gaara still ached for what Rasa never gave.

" _I saw mother._ "

It was definitely a rather strange thing to say, but in the back of her head Temari knew – Gaara didn't need yet another ghost to mentally chase; Rasa was enough. Kankuro, of course, cleared her consciousness with a logical explanation, nor did she think of the incident when Gaara said he wanted her to meet someone.

No, she found herself far more worried about Gaara suddenly taking an interesting in a girl, before her mind shifted to the possibility of some kind of unintentional accident occurring when they arrived at the hospital, only for the fear he was seeing a councilor rather than coming to her or Kankuro. In fact...

" _I saw mother._ "

... carried a new meaning, a meaning of her younger brother going mental in a different manner after he'd put everything together, worked so hard to do so. His words – they honestly confused her, making no sense given the fact everyone knew Rasa sealed Shukaku into Gaara, without a single care regarding how this would affect their family, not to mention the entire village. Of course...

" _I saw mother._ "

... the truth wasn't something she expected.

She'd not planned on reacting, but then she'd not planned on seeing their mother after so many years – fourteen-years. Karura's sandy-blond hair – something Temari inherited from her – cascaded down towards the middle of her back, rather than cutting off around the shoulders. Despite the number of years, her mother was still beautiful, eerily so.

More importantly, she understood why Gaara said he didn't know what to do – she didn't either. " _He was right in not wanting Kankuro here._ " She turned and looked at her brother, his seafoam green eyes filled with hope. Letting out a sigh, rubbing the back of her head right at the nape of her neck, she glanced away, at anything but them. "Gaara, could I possibly talk to her for a bit?"

"You promise..."

"That I won't get angry at her?" Temari _wanted_ to yell, to let the woman know what she thought, yet... "I promise I won't react in an angry manner. I can't, though, help how I feel. It's something I'm going to have to sort out."

"Okay."

She realized after a few seconds Gaara wasn't leaving. She looked at him, before letting out a sigh, reaching out to pull the young Kazekage into a hug. The ability to _touch_ Gaara after having never done so – she couldn't explain the feeling, beyond the fact he always felt so small, so fragile despite the fact his sand easily protected him. "I love you. Don't forget that, okay."

"I won't." Gaara paused, before adding something. "She says my name doesn't mean what it means."

"Wh..." He'd taken off before she could ask what he meant, leaving her to look at the woman, her arms crossing while Karura looked at her as if the last fourteen years never happened. She decided she'd take a seat, taking a deep breath as she did so. "What did Gaara mean by that?"

"He thinks – thought his name meant self-loving demon when in reality it means the demon I love."

"You called your child a demon, you do realize that, right?"

"It's a play on your father's name." Karura became nervous, her eyes darting toward the ground. "I know from Gaara that you and Kankuro are alright, but I also know your father is not."

"He's dead. There's no getting around that, but I'm going, to be frank, and let you know that you are dead to us as well. The entire village believes you died in childbirth."

"I see."

"You don't see. What is with this, Gaara saying you sealed Shukaku into him and not Rasa."

"Not Rasa. Don't call him that."

"I don't think you're exactly in a position to tell me what I can or can't call either of you, but you don't know the crap that man put Gaara through." Temari watched her mother glance away.

"He said something, the last time I saw him, about having turned Gaara into a monster. Gaara doesn't seem like a monster to me."

"That's because Gaara _finally_ put the pieces of his life back together these last couple of years."

"You're lying."

"Says the person who is in the mental ward in Suna's hospital." Temari let out a sigh, rubbing the back of her head. "Look. I'm going to ask the question that needs to be asked. Why are you here? You told Gaara that was because you sealed Shukaku inside of him, right?"

"No. I told Gaara that's the reason your father is angry at me."

"Was. He's dead."

"I... yes." Karura glanced at the floor. "The reason I'm in here is the reason I sealed Shukaku into Gaara. It was to save the village."

"Because we needed a _jinchuriki_?" Temari felt bile rise in her throat. She suddenly wanted to yell, to lash out, yet for some reason didn't. Perhaps her hands clenching the edge of the chair was enough.

"No. Because your brother is needed to save the village."

"You're talking as if..."

"It's an event yet to come. Yes, but it will be soon. Very soon."

Temari's eyes widened in horror, a bit of realization settling in. "Wait? Are you _really_ telling me you sealed Shukaku into Gaara because you saw some kind of apocalyptic event for the village?"

"Yes. Actually, it's not just the village."

"Good grief." Temari closed her eyes, glad Gaara wasn't there to hear what their mother said. "So the reason was so Gaara could have the power to save the village?"

"No."

"You said that Gaara is necessary for the future, but sealing Shukaku wasn't to give him the power to do so, so what was the real reason." Temari's eyes opened, swallowing. She watched the woman in front of her glancing away, her hands folding in her lap.

"That."

"Yes, that."

"Rasa and I, he never asked the right question. Not like you did."

"How is what I've said different?"

"If the reason wasn't to make sure Gaara had the power to save, then what other reason would there be to do what I did?" Karura looked her in the eye. "It was so he could live."

"What he went through wasn't living." Temari felt a slight glee upon watching her mother fidget. "You're just as mental as Yashimaru."

"Yashimaru – Gaara avoided telling me where he is, among other things."

"Your dear brother is the one who told my precious little brother that his name means demon who loves himself, that you never loved him and named him to curse the village."

"No."

"Gaara killed him."

"No." Karura closed her eyes, her agitation growing. "He knows I didn't. He knows I love Gaara. He loves Gaara."

"I think I'll leave now." Temari stood, tired of discussing the matter with the woman in front of her. She turned, preparing to leave when she heard Karura move, feeling the woman grab onto her arm.

"I don't know why that happened. I don't know why any of it did." Karura's touch was something Temari wanted to desperately pull away, yet for some reason she listened, taking in the desperation in the woman's voice. "What I do know is, if I'd not sealed Shukaku into Gaara while he was in my womb, he'd never have been born into this world."

Temari felt her bottom lip tremble, but she turned, looking the woman in the eye while tears started to well. "Why couldn't you just say that was the real reason? Don't you think father would have accepted it, over this nonsense of Gaara saving the world? I get the fact you want me to forgive you, for everything that happened, and maybe, maybe one day I can. Maybe you are a bit insane, which didn't help, but none of what happened would have if you'd been there as our mother."


	7. Reframing

Blowing up at their mother honestly didn't make Temari feel better, nor did it solve any of the problems they faced given the secret their father kept from them. One of the thoughts crossing her mind was blaming her father for what was going on like she always did, and yet she struggled to take in what their mother said, let alone the fact their mother...

She was alive.

"You're not making dinner?" Gaara's voice didn't make her look up from where she sat at the table. The fact she registered the slight tremor in his tone of voice which proved one of the few ways she could tell her youngest brother was definitely upset due to how well he hid his feelings didn't make her look up; instead, she found herself pondering the fact Gaara never _tried_ hiding his feelings, but instead struggled with emoting like a normal person. "I could make dinner if you want."

"That's okay. I'm needing to think."

"About our mother? She heard his shuffle slightly, which indicated he felt guilty. Often, she found he'd done nothing he should feel guilty for, yet that didn't change the fact he felt guilty. She finally looked up, her eyes narrowing in worry. "Gaara?"

"Was I wrong for letting you know?" He looked at her, his seafoam eyes pleading for her to tell him the truth, even if it hurt. He trusted her so much, yet the two people in the world he should be giving that level of trust unconditionally to...

"No." Temari let her mouth twist into a smile, letting one of her hands rest on her leg. She watched him glance away. "Gaara?"

"Am I wrong for wanting her to be a part of our lives? For her to come home?" He turned his head, worrying his bottom lip his eyes begging her yet indicating he felt guilty for even asking all at the same time.

"Gaara, you know that she's in the mental ward of the hospital for a reason, right?"

"I know what it's like."

"You..." Temari stopped, trying to figure out what he meant without having him explain his train of thought.

He still did. "What it's like to be that way, but not have anyone. She needs us."

The corners of her mouth twitched, but she couldn't stop smiling at him. She moved her hand from her knee to the tabletop, letting it twist with her other hand as she looked away. "You're right. You're absolutely right."

"Then?"

His voice sounded hopeful, yet there was definitely a problem – one she, unfortunately, needed to bring up. "The problem is Kankuro."

"I forgot." Gaara moved around in the kitchen, going to sit in front of Temari, saying nothing. They sat there in silence, still unsure of what they should do in the given situation.

That was until the door opened, indicating their brother was home. Kankuro slipped into the kitchen. "So..." There came a pause while neither looked up at him. "What has the two of you looking so gloomy? I mean, Gaara is looking gloomy, and that's a rather difficult achievement."

"I saw mother."

Leave it to Gaara to get to the point, while Kankuro... "We discussed this the other day. If it bothers you seeing pictures of mother, no, going through his things..."

"I want our mother to come home."

Temari's mouth tightened. Her youngest brother was certainly brilliant, having a genius-level intellect, but sometimes – sometimes things didn't come outright. "Hey. Gaara. Do you think I might talk to Kankuro about this? Why don't you fetch us some take out, since I've not made anything for dinner and he and I are going to be talking in the kitchen and I don't want you here in case things get ugly."

"Woah..." Kankuro's tone of voice shook, but Gaara left. "Temari, wasn't that a bit harsh? I mean..."

"When Gaara said he saw mother, he meant he discovered she's actually not dead."

"Say what!" The young puppet master's voice strained. "When were the two of you..."

"I just found out, but Gaara was majorly worried regarding how you would react, so don't you dare go proving his worries correct."

"How the hell Temari!" Kankuro's hands flailed in the air, his frustration was evident. "It's bad enough the old man..."

"She's been in the mental ward since Gaara was born."

"No. That..." Kankuro moved over, sitting down.

"Gaara wants mother home with us."

"Well, it makes sense the bastard would stick her where we couldn't find her so that his blasted plans couldn't work!"

Temari took a deep breath, looking at her hands. "That's not why..." She closed her eyes, unable to finish. "... _she's in there._ "

"Temari."

"Mother was the one who sealed Shukaku into Gaara, not father."

"Don't!" Kankuro's voice rose. "Don't refer to that bastard as our father!"

"Didn't you hear what I said!" Temari's eyes cracked open, her own anger flaring. "Our mother sealed Shukaku into Gaara."

"She wouldn't! She loved us! She loved..." She watched the color drain from Kankuro's face, remembering all too well how their uncle told Gaara their mother never loved him.

"Apparently that's not the truth, but I am not going to beat around the bush on this. She's insane. She apparently thought she was saving Gaara. Goodness knows she framed it as Gaara being some hero the village needed, but she said something eventually about how Gaara wouldn't even be born if she'd not done that."

"And Gaara wants her home? Here, with us?" Kankuro shook his head. "No. She belongs in that mental ward Temari."

"She belongs where she belongs, which is with us where we can take care of her, or as Gaara put it, she needs us just like he needed us. So I don't think we can keep her in there, but we also can't let him find out any of that, because he doesn't yet know she's..."

"Insane?"

"Kankuro..."

"If she comes home, to this place, there are definitely going to need to be some ground rules, but..." Kankuro swallowed. "Temari, did either of you stop and think how the village would react? He's the Kazekage for crying out loud, but he didn't think at all how the village would see this."

"I think he did."

"Say what?"

"I think he did think about it and didn't want to keep secrets." Temari looked at her hands. "I admit, it might, in fact, be a bit wishful thinking on my part, but..."

"Okay. Got it. Not a good idea to keep this secret, but we can do that without bringing her home, Right?"

"Gaara is convinced she needs us, but I really think he needs her. More specifically, this really turned things upside down and he's having to put the pieces together."

Kankuro sighed, rubbing the back of his head, his eyes closing. "You mean he has to put the pieces together again.

"Yes. That."

"Okay. When Gaara gets back with dinner, we'll start by laying down ground rules for him regarding this matter. I just hope this doesn't blow up in our faces."


	8. Future Sight

She found herself feeling more and more anxious.

Karura always struggled in explaining her actions. Rasa – her own husband and love of her life – he was horrified, honestly thinking her mentally insane. Truth, she couldn't _blame_ anyone for coming to that conclusion, when what triggered her actions was in itself unexplainable, even in a world where a man – her husband, could manipulate grains of sand into a formidable weapon.

She knew, however, one day the nightmares which plagued her mind would come true – they always did, unless it was a dream telling her she needed to do something to prevent something. It didn't matter how much she ever denied these facts. In truth, she knew when Temari said Gaara killed Yashimaru that Yashimaru was indeed dead. She'd seen the incident, warned Yashimaru only for him to hush her before letting her give any details, telling her what was to be would be, that he didn't want to know.

Temari was wrong though – Gaara hadn't killed Yashimaru, simply injured. No, the Yashimaru she saw took his own life. Of course, visions came at a price, one only being able to _see_ parts, such as not being able to see the fact it was her precious younger brother who told Gaara she never loved him, that his name didn't mean the demon she loved. More importantly, it bothered her greatly, the fact she struggled with Yashimaru doing such a thing.

Dreams – while they did often come true, more often than not, this involved people not believing her, or – like in Yashimaru's case, believing fate wasn't meant to be challenged.

The dreams involving the future with Gaara – those troubled her the most. She _knew_ before Gaara even stepped into the room, what her son would look like around that age. She _knew_ before he was born how much he would look like a mini version of his father, with slightly redder eyes and eyes which were definitely unique, and in her mind beautiful.

The nightmare – she didn't like the visions of the epic fight which would occur over the skies of Suna, her son battling with his sand a person who created exploding creatures, let alone the tole the fight would take on his young body, let alone everything which would transpire from there forward, a crazy haze of things she struggled in piecing together beyond the fact she knew he was abducted and taken away, surviving whatever happened.

Most importantly, events would transpire where the five great hidden villages would team up to fight some great enemy, but Gaara – Gaara was majorly involved, yet other dreams – those dreams which warned about changing things – the other curse of her visions – was that he was one of the key factors for this happening. She knew this vision was successful _because_ she saw a future even farther forward where she saw her grandchildren.

She hated the visions.

Yet, Temari's words hit home a whole lot harder than Rasa's, the fact she couldn't explain her dreams to anyone without coming across as mentally insane. She saw the look of hurt in her daughter's eyes. " _Don't you think father would have accepted it, over this nonsense of Gaara saving the world?_ "

In some ways, Temari was right. She could have told Rasa she'd done what she did to save the life of their child, yet there was still the issue of explaining why she knew not sealing Shukaku into Gaara would result in the child never being born. He didn't have to deal with the pain of their child dying, having not seen said death through dreams as she had. In fact, not many mothers lived through the death of their own child so many times.

Her anxiety – it wouldn't go away, particularly with the event she saw, the fight, looking closer and closer.


	9. Politics

He wanted their mother home.

In all honestly, Gaara didn't know if bringing her home would do anything towards helping him find the pieces he lost, let alone help him put said pieces together again. Lingering in the back of his mind was the definite worry regarding his real intentions, whether his reasons were based on him wanting, no, missing that parental affection growing up. He wondered if him saying he knew what it was like, not having anyone to support him during his own psychotic break.

Shukaku, of course, did very little in helping Gaara discern his actual feelings, yet this was nothing new. Instead, he found himself stuck with the tailed beast telling him things like, " _maybe you inherited her mental issues and that's why your psychotic break occurred._ "

Letting Temari know what he wanted regarding their mother was definitely the first step, though he honestly didn't know how things would turn out. She easily accepted his reasoning, yet he'd definitely forgotten the problem regarding Kankuro. Their older brother definitely reacted negatively as they both suspected, yet Temari purposefully gave him the errand of fetching dinner for the three of them so she could discuss things with Kankuro.

He returned to two siblings with very serious looks on their faces. Temari spoke first. "Gaara, you know and understand your wellbeing is our number one priority, right?"

"Yes." He swallowed, wondering if Kankuro managed to talk Temari out of letting their mother come home.

"That's why Temari and I are going to have some ground rules for mom when she comes home, to prevent you from getting hurt."

" _I'm not sure what to think of this._ "

" _You don't know what to think about this when your argument for bringing your mother home is you know what it's like to not have someone there supporting you._ "

Gaara definitely understood what Shukaku was getting at. " _They're supporting me._ "

"As such, Kankuro and I will handle getting her release. You worry about your Kazekage duties."

"Okay."

" _Sounds like this problem isn't your worry anymore._ "

Shukaku's words didn't seem right to Gaara for some reason, yet he understood why he didn't think things would be that simple for him even though he wasn't the one filing the paperwork for his mother to be released a few days later at a meeting of the elders. A few were livid. "What is this about your mother being alive?"

"Yes. Why is this the first we're hearing about this?"

Baki sat in his own chair at the council tables. "I only learned of this a few days ago."

"And you didn't deem it necessary for us to know?"

"That doesn't change the fact our young Kazekage knew about this, along with his siblings."

"Actually, he didn't know until a few days ago, so pardon either one of us for not saying anything while he mentally processed what he learned." Baki defended him.

"If he needed time to mentally process what he was going through, then why make the move to have her released."

"Because it's the right thing to do." Gaara folded his fingers in front of him, keeping himself calm while the elders ranted about the situation, letting him know exactly how they felt.

"No, it's not."

Gaara's seafoam green eyes opened and closed, his mind contemplating what the one elder said, yet he struggled in fathoming why he'd not made the right decision. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you obviously didn't consult us regarding this particular political matter! This is something we should have a say on!"

"Why? This is a family matter."

Gaara found some of the elders didn't agree with his statement. "No, Lord Kazkeage, this is a political matter."

"If this was a political matter like you said, then why were none of you aware of this?" He watched a few of the elders look at each other, yet none admitted knowing Karura was in the mental ward of Suna's hospital. "If this wasn't simply a family matter and a political matter like you said, then the previous Kazekage would have taken this matter to the council elders, which he did not."

"What about any of the elders who aren't on the council anymore?"

"Lord Gaara's argument stands even if those council members weren't family." Baki glared at the other elders. "There is a major difference between the previous Lord Kazekage seeking advice from an elder he trusted to advise him regarding day to day matters and a matter he felt needed to be brought in front of the council."

"This is still going to cause a political mess, but if Lord Rasa believes she belonged in the mental ward then that is where she belonged, yet you're arguing we should trust this decision to three children."

"Yes, because..." Baki's mouth snapped shut, indicating he was holding back his words so as not to be sarcastic in front of the elders on the council who were, in fact, older than him, or with higher family status. "We all know that Lord Rasa was not always right, or do I need to remind you of some of his follies. Personally, I'd rather not talk about his follies in front of his son, out of respect of his son."

"Don't worry. I'm quite aware of my father's follies."

"Are you? Marrying your mother was one of his follies."

"I doubt you would have said this prior to learning she's alive and where she is."

"No, Lord Gaara. I've always considered the relationship between Lord Rasa and that _ainoko_. Both siblings were – are – _ainoko_. She tainted the Kazekage bloodline with her filth."

Gaara's eyes widened, having never heard anyone speak of his mother, let alone his uncle spoken of in such a manner. The manner in which Baki's fist clenched said he was far from pleased the elder said the things he did, yet Gaara wondered if Baki knew what they were talking about. One of the other elders cleared his voice. "I believe _that_ subject is inappropriate to discuss in front of our young Kazekage. No, it's not that the subject is inappropriate, but more of its inappropriate to use such words in front of our young Kazekage."

"Still..."

"This is a family matter." Gaara glanced over at Baki. "Plus, there is something I'd like to discuss privately with Baki if you don't mind."

He watched Baki glare at the elder who said thing things he did but cleared his voice. "You heard the Kazekage. The matter is closed, but I would appreciate if you would leave so we can talk privately."

Some of the elders left willingly, but others left in a manner that made it clear they didn't think the subject was over. Gaara looked at Baki. "What are they talking about?" Baki let out a sigh, indicating Gaara needed to start the conversation. "What did he mean regarding the Kazekage bloodline. This is the first I've heard of it."

"All of our Kazekage have come from the exact same clan, but with the exception of the second, all of the Kazekage have been the child of a previous Kazekage."

"They called mother an _ainoko_?"

"I don't know anything beyond the fact your mother was not the person he was expected to marry."

" _Then they married because they loved each other,_ " was the thought which crossed Gaara's mind.


	10. Home

In the back of Gaara's mind, he felt bringing their mother home should be a simple matter, a family matter, yet his interaction with the council actually told him otherwise.

He felt things should be a simple matter because Temari explained to him once prying into a person's private matters was impolite unless one suspected said person was in danger, though she never really went into what she meant by the latter part. He also felt there were certain things people shouldn't make such a big deal about.

He'd arrived with Temari at the mental ward, planning on escorting their mother home, his sister having supposedly gone over the rules with her, whatever the rules his older siblings put together. Karura seemed quite pleased upon seeing them, yet hugged Gaara, which made him stiffen slightly, his body still unaccustomed to the feel of others touching him despite the fact he honestly wished to be.

The warm feeling in his cheeks was definitely strange, yet her touch was also gentle, slightly different from Temari's.

Of course, he found himself surprised when Temari flinched. Karura's eyes blinked. "Where's Kankuro. I've still not seen him."

"He didn't come. He didn't want to say or do anything stupid."

"Alright."

They then proceeded out of the hospital, with nobody at first paying them any mind, but then everyone started staring. Gaara found himself looking around, taking in the expressions. The looks – they weren't quite like the looks the villagers used to give him, ones of fear, yet they were the kind of looks which indicated people were talking behind their backs. Additionally, the people were nervous regarding her presence.

Otherwise, the walk felt quite pleasant, with their mother taking everything around her, not saying much. Every so often they stopped at a food stall where they purchase some items for that night's meal. She seemed happy despite everything that happened, which was slightly confusing, given the fact her entire life was turned upside down. The positive attitude felt infectious, much, in the same manner, the smile in the pictures of her he saw in her child felt infectious.

They arrived at the home to an empty home, setting their packages down onto the table. Gaara looked at Temari. "Where's Kankuro?"

"I don't know. I'll check his workshop."

Another door from another entrance and exit to the house opened, drawing everyone's attention to the room. Kankuro came in from that direction, carrying a package. He didn't look Karura in the eye, yet his mouth twisted into a frown, that serious look he got on his face whenever the subject of their father came up. "So..."

"It's nice to see you."

He finally looked up so he might look her in the eye, the purple makeup making Gaara suddenly feel as if there was some kind of purposeful distance between the two which Kankuro was creating. "Look. I'm going to be upfront with the fact I'm not okay with this, but on the other hand, I do want this to succeed. For Gaara's sake. I used some of my allowance to get some meet. I thought we'd eat it tonight, but I guess it will wait until tomorrow, so I'll stick this in the fridge."

He picked up the package, placing it in the fridge where they kept the meat, before looking down at his feet. "I see you've become a puppet master. I'm glad. You were always good at that. Did your grandmother take you under her wing?"

"Our grandmother?" Kankuro's head darted up. He looked over at Temari, who shook her head, unsure of what to say. Even Gaara was unsure of what to say, as their family unit until now consisted of the three of them, Baki taking on the forth role once Rasa died.

"You don't know what I'm talking about?" Karura's eyes drifted, as did her tone of voice. "Maybe Rasa didn't say anything because of that. They weren't exactly on speaking terms."

"Because she thinks you're an _ainoko_?"

"Gaara!" The color drained from Temari's face, yet her reaction said he crossed the line.

Kankuro's eyes widened. "Um, Gaara, where did you hear that?"

"One of the elders on the council used that word."

"He was referring to the fact Yashimaru and my mother isn't from Suna, but from Konoha. We were also born outside of Suna. The place – you are Kazekage now, so you're likely aware of the plot of fertile land given to Suna near Konoha so we might farm. We came back to Suna to be with our father when Suna was made to give up that plot of land, though _not_ because the third Hokage wanted it so, nor was this a place we saw much of the war."

"Lady Tsunade's since made reparations to our village regarding the matter, yet has stipulated the importance of keeping the promise to our village as she felt it led to..." Gaara paused, realizing he started rambling off random facts, yet he almost delved into the carbuncle which was the Chunin exams. "... an incident which might have otherwise been prevented."

"Its why father is dead." Temari looked at her hands.

"Yes, but wouldn't Minato have been the one handling this? He'd planned on doing this anyway, but..."

"Who's Minato?"

"You might know him by his family name as Namikaze or the fourth Hokage."

"You..." Kankuro looked at her in shock. "You don't know that the fourth Hokage is dead?" The look on her face said she didn't. "How? I mean, I get not knowing the third is now dead as that was during the same incident in which..."

"What happened?"

"Orochimaru killed father and the third Hokage."

"That..." Karura's smile was now faded. "No, I didn't know that. I'm talking about Minato."

"Well, from what we heard he died when the nine-tailed fox attacked the village."

"I see. I'm guessing Kushina is dead as well. It explains why Yashimaru and Rasa said nothing when I asked. It must have been during the months before Gaara was born."

"Yeah."

Temari took a deep breath. "Maybe we should change the subject. We've got food to eat, right."

"Yes. I've plenty to catch up on, but I knew that before leaving."

Gaara watched Kankuro pull a chair out for their mother, although the look on his face said he was uncomfortable with doing so. A knock on the door right after she sat down made them look in the direction. Temari walked over, relief appearing on her face upon seeing whoever was at the door. "Sensei."

"I'd like to speak with Lord Gaara really quick."

"Afterwards, care to join us to eat."

"I do not want to intrude upon your first meal with your mother, so another time. Actually, what I have to say should be said in front of all of you." The man stepped in the room, nodding his head at everyone. "So, Lady Temari and Lord Kankuro were unaware that I'd told Lord Gaara I'd look into things more. I ended up speaking with the honored siblings."

"Are they doing well?"

"Quite well, Lady Karura, although they didn't tell me much regarding what happened twelve years ago, telling me to come back every day. However, when they heard that you were coming home, they asked if they could visit. They plan on visiting tomorrow, but as Lady Karura knows, you don't want to say no to them."


	11. Expanding World

Gaara honestly didn't know what to expect from the ones Baki called the honored siblings beyond the fact he knew – somehow – that their appearance the day after would, in fact, turn their world upside down even further. Their mother didn't seem bothered by this, yet for some strange reason, Kankuro seemed a bit off.

The way he acted wasn't the same nonchalant attitude of not being pleased with their current situation let alone the presence of their mother. In fact, the look on Kankuro's face was definitely something new. "Temari? Who are the sand siblings? Why is Kankuro acting the way he is?"

"The honored siblings are Lady Chiyo and Lord Ebizo. As for Kankuro is acting the way he is, Lady Chiyo is a skilled puppet master."

"Are they very old."

"Yes, but you shouldn't talk about people's ages"

"Understood." Gaara then said. "I now understand why mother asked whether grandmother taught Kankuro."

"What?"

"Lady Chiyo is the mother of our father."

"Gaara, where would you get that idea from?"

"Was she not married to the previous Kazekage?

"Gaara, you're making no sense. What does the previous Kazekage have anything to do with this? Also, I don't know anything about who was married to who in the past. It's not really been my thing."

"Baki told me all of the Kazekage come from the same clan, but that all but the second were the child of a previous kage. That means father was the son of the third."

"Or the second."

"He ruled for too long and would have been too old."

"Gaara, seriously, I don't think Lady Chiyo is our grandmother."

"Yes, yes she is." Karura stood in the doorway, looking in.

Kankuro spluttered from behind. "Wait. What? Why aren't we hearing about this?"

"Well, it's sort of complicated."

"How can it be complicated."

"I'm not sure if the issue is my bloodline or the fact Yashimaru and I were students of Lady Tsunade. Of course, if she found that out, it might have made things worse."

"That?" Temari's eyes widened. "What does _that_ mean?"

"Mm... nothing you need to..."

"Remember."

"I'll tell you later. You definitely look like her."

"What..."

Kankuro let out a sigh. "Our mother is insane. She's definitely insane." He looked over at Gaara. "Though to be honest, some of your ideas are insane. It's weird this one turned out to be true, yet this explains..." He muttered under his breath. "I'll be in my room until dinner."

Gaara watched his brother leave. "What's his problem?"

"He tried getting Lady Chiyo to teach him, but she refuses. I think he now thinks it's because she has – had – a poor relationship with father." She turned to look at their mother. "If she doesn't like you..."

"No. I never said she didn't like me. She just – doesn't approve of the marriage."

"Maybe because father is dead?"

Temari sighed. "Gaara, help me prepare the food for dinner."

"I can help."

"This..." Temari froze. "It's kind of my thing. To teach Gaara how to cook. I..." She looked away, yet the look on her face – Gaara didn't understand why she reacted the way she did.

"Temari, why do you feel guilty."

"No. I'll just sit here and watch." Their mother sat down at the table. "Let me enjoy how much the two of you have grown up, alright?"

"Is there anything..." Temari paused. "There isn't anything Lady Chiyo doesn't like to eat."

"No. However, if you think your cooking killed her, she's trying to pull her leg. Ebizo will always react."

Gaara's eyes widened. "Would you say the entire family is insane then?"

"Gaara!" Temari sucked in a deep breath. "Come help me already!"

...which meant the subject was closed, he'd overstepped the line and she wasn't currently in the mood to explain how he'd done that. In fact, the mood ever since their mother entered the door was honestly something he struggled in reading, including his own.

The fact he didn't know how to _feel_ regarding his mother, particularly when he was the one who insisted on her coming home. She felt as much of an enigma as his father. Unlike their father's sour attitude, her personality was bright, infectious in some ways. This didn't change the fact she felt like a stranger or the fact he found himself uncomfortable around her, unsure of how to act.

She was there, watching and observing from the side, much, in the same manner, he observed the people around him. He knew he watched people so he might learn. " _Is it the same for her?_ "

" _I don't know. I can't read minds._ "

Glancing over at Temari, he saw how uncomfortable the situation made his sister, making him feel guilty despite the fact he still felt they'd done the right thing. Every so often, he glanced back at her, watching her leaning on one arm smiling as if there was nothing wrong in the world despite the fact there were so many things wrong in the world. Life taught him that. Life also taught him the world was a very confusing place, like just right now.

Temari worked at chopping up the meat and vegetables while he stood there waiting for instruction. She then spoke in a low tone, almost as if not wanting their mother to know what she was saying. "Could you possibly not tell Kankuro that Lady Chiyo is our grandmother?"

"Why?"

"He frustrated enough as it is regarding the fact she wouldn't take him on as an apprentice once he was old enough."

"He's going to find out eventually."

"True. It's likely going to come up during dinner, to be honest, but he's not down here, so he has nobody but his own self to blame for him not learning until later because he decided to hole himself up in his room and avoid mom. Speaking of which..." Temari turned and looked at him. "How are you holding up?"

Gaara tilted his head. He glanced back at their mother, then back at his sister. "Should we be having this conversation in front of her."

"No. It's okay. I think she'd rather know how you're feeling and doing."

"Temari is correct. Your world has been turned upside down."

"You're our mother." Gaara looked at her. "You shouldn't act like you're alright with us feeling..."

"How? How do you feel?"

"Awkward. Uncomfortable. I don't like feeling that way, but that's not how I want to feel, but that pretty much describes my interaction with everybody. I prefer observing."

"I see."

A knock at the door made Karura get up and walk towards the door. Gaara watched Temari tense. "Gaara, can you continue chopping this the way I was?"

"Yes." He shuffled over to her spot while she followed after their mother. The door opened and he heard the sound of a little old lady cackling with glee, but his mother's voice.

"Welcome to our humble abode, Lady Chiyo."

"I see you've already started making yourself at home or is it more that you're still the type of person to take things in stride. No wonder you were a student of that..."

"Now, now sister. There's no need to refer to Lady Tsunade as..."

"A hag."

"... in front of the children."

"Temari is now, what? Seventeen? She's no child."

"I was more of thinking of Gaara, though to be honest if Kankuro is the same as he was when he was younger..."

"He'll what? Call her a hag?"

"More like an old bag," Temari said. "Can I show you to the kitchen?"

"I know where the kitchen is. This used to be my home until I moved in with my brother."

"You know you're always welcome."

"Karura dear, I don't think you can speak for this household as it is a household now run by your children. It's strange, not having that fool under this roof though." The voice of the old woman got closer, and then. "Ah! There's Gaara. Why are you cutting vegetables?"


	12. Workshop

He found himself looking up then, confused regarding why the old lady asked such a question, thinking the fact he was helping his older sister in the kitchen should be an obvious fact.

He turned, looking down at the little old lady. The fact Lady Chiyo was smaller than him honestly surprised him, as he was so used to his other family members towering over him to some degree, given the fact he was always small, but his eyes drifted up so he might see Lord Ebizo as well. Both were short in stature, which honestly might explain where he got his short height from if it were a common trait on her side of the family.

"I'm helping Temari."

"You're such a good boy."

Gaara tilted his head slightly, noticing she didn't react to him as others once did, given the fact everyone reacted to him with fear until he proved himself to them, yet he didn't feel as if he'd proven himself to these two people. In fact, they were yet two more enigmas which complicated the mental mess he now found himself in. In fact, he'd tried brushing aside the fact it was his mother who sealed Shukaku inside of him, not their father.

His eyes closed, contemplating that particular fact, along with the fact the person who _had_ sealed Shukaku in him was now only a few feet away, though he was the reason why their mother was no longer in the mental ward. He never thought doing what he felt was right would end up agitating him so, nor did he know how to deal with the feelings, let alone figure out what they were.

"Gaara, why don't you let Kankuro know they're here while I continue working on dinner. You can come back and help me when you're done."

" _So much for us not having the opportunity to tell him._ " He paused, looking at her.

Karura piped up. "Isn't he in his puppet workshop?"

Gaara's eyes widened. "Perhaps Lady Chiyo would like to see it? You are a retired puppet master after all?"

"I would be delighted." The little old lady let out a chuckle. "Care to join us Ebizo? Karura?"

"I think I'll help Temari in the kitchen while Gaara is away."

"I'll go with. I want to see how the workshop's changed since Kakuro took over. It was rather disused after Lady Chiyo moved out."

"Well, I'm glad it is being used again."

Gaara looked down at her. "You're glad, but you didn't want to take Kankuro on as an apprentice?"

"He's still going on about that?" Lady Chiyo let out a scoffing sound.

"No, it simply came up today when I asked who you and Lady Ebizo were."

"Ah. Yes, we retired when you were quite young, didn't we."

"I inferred the fact you were our grandmother from the fact mother asked the night before whether you had taught him and Temari said you were a puppet master, so I am honestly curious if it has to do with our mother being _ainoko_."

"What you mean is whether it has something to do with why I disowned Rasa? The situation is honestly complicated. I can't say it doesn't have anything to do with your mother, but it's not what everyone thinks, though I guess some would think otherwise. I'm guessing that word – you heard it from one of the elders who hadn't retired, but should have?"

"It was definitely at the council meeting."

"Council meeting? You are attending council meetings?" Lady Chiyo perked up. "Aren't you a bit young to be appointed to the council? I mean, I'm not saying that you're incapable of becoming the rank needed – everyone in this family is gifted, as it should be given your bloodline on both sides."

"You know father is dead, right?" Gaara felt his throat tighten.

"Yes. I'm still not sure how I feel. Rasa was so blind to so many things in front of him, but I must admit some of the rifts between us is because I'm a stubborn old lady who likes to do things my way."

"That doesn't really answer his question about why you didn't take Kankuro on as an apprentice, though, does it?"

"We're here!" The woman spoke with such a cheerful voice, before slamming the door open. Gaara flinched, hearing cursing coming from his older brother from inside the workshop. She continued walking in, while Gaara held out his hand, his mouth opening to say she should show some restraint, yet he didn't say anything by the time she spoke again. "Well, you know, this is your workshop now, so you should feel free to make the changes you want to it."

Gaara felt his blood run cold as more curses escaped from Kankuro's mouth. "This isn't good."

Karura tugged at the elbow of his sleeve, tugging him in. "Things may not be as horrible as they seem."

He saw his brother's face with the purple makeup spread across his face twitching as he looked down at Lady Chiyo, his hands opening and closing as if he wanted to strangle her. "You know. You've not come by showing me how you've progressed."

"It wasn't as if you were ever going to make me your apprentice."

"I'm retired." Chiyo was looking at a puppet Kankuro was currently working on, one of his own creations. "Plus, that's not how we do things in this family. We make strong puppet masters by letting them learn by trial and error." She started out of the room. "I look forward to seeing your progress again."

Another string of curses left Kankuro's mouth. He looked at Gaara. "What was that about?" He then pointed at her mother. "What is she doing here? In my workshop?"

"Well, Temari was convinced we shouldn't tell you and let you find out on your own, but I'd thought about telling you when she sent me to get you for dinner. Mother suggested Lady Chiyo would like to see your workshop."

"This way Gaara wouldn't be going against what your sister wanted, but you'd still find out."

"Find out what! What other secrets could the family be possibly hiding?"

"Lady Chiyo is our grandmother, father's mother," Gaara spoke as if what he said was no big deal, yet the information was still making his head real, sinking in along with all the other bits of information.


	13. Dinner

Sitting at the table, Gaara suddenly felt as if he knew why Temari didn't think telling Kankuro was a good idea. The atmosphere in the room was tense, with nobody looking at each other. Except, they were.

Gaara looked at everybody, attempting to discern how everyone was thinking, while Temari and Kankuro looked at their food, picking at it. Karura looked at her food a lot, yet he could read her face with her perpetual smile, not to mention every so often she looked up at Lady Chiyo when the conversation went in the direction it would – Gaara guessed – be polite to look up from one's room. Lady Chiyo and Lord Ebizo looked at everybody.

Then, Lady Chiyo fell asleep. Which, wasn't surprising given the fact she was old and seemed the type to quickly use up what seemed like an abundant supply of energy. One of the things Gaara observed was that both children and older people had these abundant supplies of energy which quickly depleted and yet returned to their peak, so he didn't think anything was out of the norm.

Except, Lord Ebizo did. The man started fidgeting, looking at his sister in worry. Karura looked up, obviously amused for some reason. Temari glanced up slightly, the corners of her mouth twisting slightly; Gaara wondered if she too were amused. Kankuro finally looked up, obviously in one of his dark moods, his eyes on Lady Chiyo.

"Sister?" Lord Ebizo spoke. "Are you alive?" She didn't move, yet Gaara was quite sure he would have known if she were dead. The dead – their bodies gave off a definitely different vibe. The man got up, and walked over to his sister while one of Kankuro's eyebrows went up, his curiosity perked and his dark mood vanishing. Lord Ebizo poked her, and...

She popped up with all her abundant energy, making Lord Ebizo fall backward, a hand clutching his heart from the sudden fright. Temari's jaw dropped before she looked at their mother, yet Gaara remembered her warning from earlier – that Lady Chiyo liked playing dead. In his mind, she wasn't very good at playing dead, as he could tell. Kankuro stood up, angry. "That's not funny!"

"You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Gaara's mouth twisted at the corners. "I don't get it."

"Well, yeah. It's _not_ a good joke." Kakuro glared at their grandmother.

"That's not what I mean. I mean, how could he not tell she was still alive?"

"Oh?" Lady Chiyo's interest was obviously perked. "What do you mean by that?"

"Dead bodies feel different. Even if it's only briefly, they feel different."

"That..." Kankuro looked at him as if he'd done or said something creepy, only for laughter to erupt from Lady Chiyo again. "That's not funny either!"

"I never said _that_ was, but the look on my brother's face most certainly was funny."

Gaara wasn't sure it was, yet he'd go along with Lady Chiyo's strange sense of humor even if he didn't understand what she was going at. He then saw she looked right at him. "What?"

"Say. You haven't had any medical-nin training."

"Not much."

"Not much." Temari shook her head. "What you learned from Lady Tsunade isn't anything to..." She paused, looking at Lady Chiyo."

"Her training isn't easy, but there's a reason the old hag were major rivals when our villages fought."

"That's behind us sister."

"Yes, well, I'd say it was surprising that she was teaching someone from a different village, but given who your mother is..."

"One of her former students."

"One of her former students," Lady Chiyo parroted after Gaara. She turned towards Temari. "The meal was definitely delicious, but you shouldn't limit your pursuits to homemaking."

"She's doing it to teach me, so I can take care of myself."

"I see." She turned towards Karura. "Speaking of training, you've been stuck inside a mental ward the past – oh, fourteen years. There is no way you're at your strongest, are you."

"Well, no. I don't think the village would like me going out and training." Gaara watched his brother and sister look at her, their jaws dropping. "I'm not sure whether I should say I'm aware of the fact the village is uncomfortable around me, or that yes – I would like to do some training."

Gaara wondered if that went against the rules his siblings set up for her, yet in the back of his mind, he thought she wouldn't have brought that up if they had placed such a rule on her. In fact, the looks on their faces said they'd not even considered their mother as a shinobi, yet in the back of Gaara's head, he wondered what kind she was on the battlefield. His mind drifted towards Yashimaru, his eyes sinking down to the table.

"Well, if you need a place to train, there is our place."

"One of the deals..." Kankuro started speaking, pausing. "Look, when we approached mother about no longer being in the mental ward, we said there would be some ground rules regarding her getting out."

"Yes, like the fact Kankuro or I need to be with her if she were to leave the house."

"Then you can come as well."

Gaara watched Kankuro's eye twitched at the irritation. "Wait..."

"Oh, you can come and practice your puppets, but I won't take you on as an apprentice. No. As I said, that's not how we do things."

Ebizo sat down as if he'd finally regained his composure. "That's what we came here for tonight, if not ask if she wanted to stay with us."

"I do miss my darling daughter-in-law."

" _Then it was father? What did father do?_ "

" _Who knows._ "

"Plus, your mother's strength is on par with your father's. She'd be a major asset for the village if the situation arose. Particularly with the two of us in retirement."

"We need to think about it." Kankuro gritted his teeth.

"Do we?" Gaara piped up.

"I'm sure it won't cause any harm, Kankuro. I really don't."

"That..." Kankuro let out a sigh. "That isn't the point."

"You want to be in control of this situation, right? To try and bring some form of normality back?"

Kankuro didn't answer, yet in the back of Gaara's mind, he didn't think things could return to normal.


	14. Preparing

She was home.

She was home and honestly didn't know how to feel regarding the matter.

In the back of Karura's mind, she didn't blame her children for feeling uncomfortable regarding her presence, let alone the older two putting rules in place – rules meant to protect Gaara in the long run, from preventing him from finding out what she'd told Temari. Whether Kankuro knew what she told Temari, she didn't know – he avoided her, his discomfort the most obvious, yet feeling the least painful.

Gaara, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. She watched her youngest, how his emotions didn't appear as readily on his face as his older two siblings, the way he awkwardly interacted not just with her, but his own siblings – even the honored siblings when they finally showed up. No, Gaara feeling uncomfortable was the most painful as he was uncomfortable around everyone, but as Temari said – she was to blame.

The night she returned home, Karura found herself stepping into the bedroom she once shared with Rasa. The smile she put onto her face faltered, her eyes drifting around the room looking for the person who was no longer there, an ache pounding in her chest. The intimacy they shared in the room would never happen again, yet – despite not wanting things to have changed in the room, they had.

After all, it was fourteen years since she'd been in this room. Her fingers traced the top of the furniture, feeling how clean the room was kept despite the fact Rasa was in fact dead. A few cacti were in the window, obviously cared for – making Karura wonder who was taking care of the room now that Rasa was gone, let alone if the changes in the room were done by Rasa. The room made the dull ache from the time lost even more pronounced.

"Mother?"

She turned then, looking her youngest in the eye. She didn't know what to say, her eyes opened and closed. "Do you need something?"

His seafoam green eyes darted away so he wasn't looking her in the eye. "Um. No." He then looked back. "He kept your clothing."

"Well, I am alive."

Gaara opened his mouth, almost as if wanting to say she was supposed to be dead, but stopped, looking away again. He fidgeted, one of his shoulders moving slightly, then his hand rubbed the back of his neck before he spoke up slowly. "Well, goodnight."

"Good night Gaara."

Yet, in the back of her mind, she knew the night wouldn't be good for her, given the fact, there was a chance she might dream of the event which would change everyone's lives – which was slowly growing closer. She still attempted to sleep, yet couldn't as the nightmare, her mind wondering why Gaara knew his father kept her clothing. She looked over at the cacti, wondering if he were the one taking care of the room, yet she wondered even more if the changes were her youngest's idea.

" _How do I feel about that?_ " She walked over to the cacti, still not wanting to sleep lest the nightmare she was unprepared for in the real world cropped up in her dreams. " _It adds a bit of life in the room, makes it feel lived in, loved._ " Glancing at the bed. " _Plus, he was having to deal with his father's death, so why wouldn't he come in here for comfort. It may be a part of his routine, but my presence has interrupted that._ "

Taking a deep breath, she lay down, letting herself fall asleep despite not wanting to, the nightmare jarring her awake, her eyes turning towards the window with no sign of the sun coming up yet. Instead, she saw the shadow of the small cacti she was sure Gaara left. Getting up, she left the room, knowing she was currently confined to the house, her options regarding what would come limited by where her two oldest would take her.

" _Everyone thinks you're insane, so..._ "

Shaking her head, she headed out of the room, her entire body reeling from the dread the dreams brought, not expecting to run into Gaara wandering about. His seafoam green eyes blinked, watching her carefully before disappearing. Karura let out a sigh, thinking her nightmares were rather ironic given the fact the host of Shukaku became an insomniac. Taking a breath, she returned to the room, knowing she still needed to sleep while contemplating how she could help that child out.

This came in the form of an invite from the honored siblings, something which brought her relief despite the fact she knew in the back of her mind her two oldest held major trepidations regarding her training up, becoming strong physically once again. " _A medical-nin needs to be able to protect themselves, otherwise they are a liability on the battlefield and unable to heal their companions because they've become likewise incapacitated._ "

One of her – and Yashimaru's first lessons with Lady Tsunade was in fact just that, yet she definitely didn't have the physical strength she had prior to Rasa placing her into the mental ward. In the back of her mind, she felt guilt for making Rasa put her in the place, for making him feel so badly hurt by her action. She found herself walking with Temari towards Lord Ebizo's place.

"Just so you know, I don't like this, but Gaara really put Kankuro and me on the spot last night when he said this was okay."

"You're older than him." Karura watched Temari's mouth move. "Don't use the fact he's the Kazekage as an excuse."

"It's that we don't want him to get hurt. I've told you this before, but if he gets hurt again like he was in the past, there is no way I am ever going to forgive you. I think the only thing which makes this end up working is the fact Lady Chiyo and Lord Ebizo are in fact there, although I don't know what kind of power they have now that they've retired."

"I wouldn't underestimate them."

"You're not in your prime."

"I was also stuck in a room all these years." The conversation ended there, yet Karura felt this would definitely be an uphill battle.


	15. Family Insanity

She didn't like the situation at all.

In truth, if she had her way their mother would rarely if ever leave the house, yet something made her suspect Kankuro felt the same way. Gaara, however, placed them in a bind when he readily agreed to the honored siblings – no, apparently their grandmother and great-uncle's invitation. In the back of her mind, Temari remembered Baki saying one didn't go against the honored siblings; something told her he actually meant she shouldn't go against her grandmother.

Lord Ebizo – her Uncle Ebizo – was definitely soft compared to his feisty sister, more inclined to go with the flow of things and relax. Their grandmother, Lady Chiyo – was definitely feisty and all fighting spirit. The old woman honestly made Temari feel uncomfortable with her presence, constantly making the young lady feel as if she were walking on eggshells around her, yet she ended up being the one to escort their mother to the place because...

... Kankuro avoided their mother and Gaara wasn't a part of the deal, not when they didn't want to risk him finding out the reasoning behind their mother sealing Shukaku inside of him.

They arrived at the place the two honored siblings called home. What Temari saw was an enclosure with a pond near the home, but another area that appeared to be meant for practicing. Indeed, they'd set up a few practice dummies. The two elders didn't greet them when they approached and instead sat there fishing at a pond Temari was sure didn't have any fish, yet she might be wrong.

"Don't you dare play dead. It's not funny seeing Lord Ebizo nearly have a heart attack, Lady Chiyo."

Temari felt uncomfortable with how her mother spoke with the honored siblings, yet, worse – she didn't know how she should speak to them, given the fact they were her grandmother and great-uncle. The little old lady's head bobbed up, her smile greeting Karura. "Karura dear, things have been set up for you, but be sure to take it easy for the first few days. Temari, why don't you help Ebizo make some tea dear."

She wanted to glare, to say she wasn't some homemaker, to remind the woman she'd called her out on that, yet followed after Ebizo out of politeness. She stood in the small kitchen, wondering how the former wife of the third Kazekage could live so differently. "Don't mind my sister dear, but since you know we're related, I wouldn't mind being called _oji-san_. In fact, I'd love it greatly, particularly from Gaara. He's still as adorable as the day he was born, though I guess a boy wouldn't like hearing that." A laugh escaped from his lungs. "I should know, shouldn't I?"

"Um..." Temari found herself rather taken aback by what her uncle said, watching him make the tea.

"Just to let you know, your father never got along with his parents. It was rather difficult, being chosen over his older brother for the position of Kazekage."

"Wait. Do you mean to tell me father was actually the youngest child like Gaara was?"

"Quite so. He and Sasori were close in age, but the boy refused to call Rasa by the title _oji-san_."

"You aren't trying to emphasize the fact you want to be called _oji-san_ , are you?"

"Not all. It was always amusing, watching Sasori call Rasa nii-chan instead."

"What happened to..."

"Sasori? Rumor has it he had something to do with the disappearance of the third. There is likely truth to that rumor, but to be honest, the boy wasn't right in the head. One might say though that Gaara isn't right in the head."

"Don't say that! I mean, he wasn't right in the head for a while..."

"Let me rephrase that then. Gaara and Sasori see the world differently, but something triggered them so that the differences in the way they see the world made people think they weren't right in the head."

"It still doesn't sound right."

"Gaara's special. He..."

"I really don't need someone to tell me my brother is special and different. I just want people to see that it isn't a bad thing."

"That. That was what I was trying to get at."

It certainly didn't seem like that, but his conversation with her made her feel even more uncomfortable regarding her stay at the home of the honored siblings while her mother trained. She followed Lord Ebizo out and saw her mother working with the attack dummies with quite a bit of gusto while Lady Chiyo watched. She watched the man set the tray of tea down beside his sister followed by him sitting down on the other side.

The elders drank the tea as if nothing was wrong.

"Care for a cup Temari."

"I guess." Reluctantly, she took a cup, her eyes glancing away, likely revealing how uncomfortable she felt. She stood rather than sitting, watching her mother, wondering when the insanity would end.

"Your mother's not insane."

"What?" Temari felt her eyes widen, surprised someone might say something which proved contradictory to what she currently knew regarding her mother's state of mind.

"Truth be told, it was Rasa who disowned me, for I helped your mother seal Shukaku into your unborn brother." The old woman took a deep swig of her tea, then looked at Temari. "I mean, Karura has relayed to you by now the reasons why she did what she did?"

"She said it was so Gaara would live after saying he would be important to the village."

"Well, foresight isn't unheard of in your mother's bloodline, yet I suspect Gaara has some level of it himself with how his sand always automatically reacts to the things around him. It appeared in a couple of her family members in the form of gambling – when they won big, they knew something bad would happen."

" _Why does that sound familiar, like I should know that person?_ "

"Anyways, Gaara was born prematurely. For reasons I'd rather not go into, we sealed Shukaku into Gaara because he was being born prematurely. The fact he was premature had nothing to do with Shukaku being sealed inside of him, though it might seem that way to those who were unaware."

Temari looked at her mother, now wondering if both her mother and grandmother were insane.


	16. Further Tilting

"Seriously."

Temari was definitely irritated with both of her brothers. Gaara recognized the look on her face, yet for once he couldn't place what he and Kankuro both did, or relatively – what Kankuro did. He found himself attempting to prepare himself breakfast without her help, although this involved very little cooking, now staring at her. "What did we do this time?"

Kankuro turned and looked at Gaara, a horrified look on his face. "Really? Did you really have to... never mind. It's you."

"Okay. So maybe I shouldn't be frustrated with Gaara in the fact we decided he wasn't supposed to be alone with mother."

Gaara's eyes blinked. " _Should I be insulted._ "

" _Says the person who's been avoiding his mother ever since she's moved in. It's been, like, a whole month now. Right?_ "

Indeed, he had avoided his mother. Arriving at the bedroom which he once considered his father's and thus took over in an attempt to connect with the man he'd struggled all his life connecting with led to what he felt was a rather awkward situation which he hoped his mother suspected was just him checking in to see if she was alright.

" _How is she supposed to know that, though, if you've been, you know, avoiding her when it's not mealtime?_ "

" _I have my Kazekage duties, right? Those are outside of the home, right?_ "

" _You're missing the point. You've both been awake at night, but you've kept turning in the other direction. You could ask her anything._ "

" _Something tells me Temari and Kankuro – there are things they don't want me to know._ " Gaara looked at his siblings.

" _How do you come to that conclusion?_ "

" _Because they're not letting her leave the house without supervision._ "

"Alright. _Why_ are you irritated with me?"

"I'm irritated with the fact I've been the only one dealing with mom. I get Gaara, given the fact she promised us she wouldn't leave the house without you or me being there, but you? Every time she's left the house, I've been the one whose taken her."

"I don't want to go to Lady Chiyo's place."

"You're still going on about that?"

"Please stop arguing." Gaara didn't like it when his older siblings argued. Many times, it was either something stupid, often Kankuro's fault.

Temari looked at him, worrying her lip. "Sorry, Gaara."

"Don't apologize." Gaara started into his breakfast, keeping a wary eye out for their mother. In the back of his mind, he wondered if she was avoiding him as well – perhaps because of the rules, his older siblings put into place.

She turned towards Kankuro. "What are you going to do if I'm not here? Do you expect mom to stay in the house? I mean, seriously, do you expect her to stay in the house?" Kankuro shrugged his shoulders at her. "Don't shrug your shoulders at me like that."

"Yeah, well you're not getting up early everyone morning..." Kankuro froze, his eyes widening as if he'd almost said something, but then stopped. He glanced away.

"And what?"

"Cleaning up the mess left by whoever's been vandalizing the walls of our home during the night, though it's gotten less frequent due to me asking those who patrol to keep an eye out."

"What!" Temari slammed her hands down. "Neither of you were going to tell me."

Kankuro opened his mouth. Gaara continued eating, only stopping briefly to say, "I thought you knew."

"Okay. Gaara's answer I buy, but you Kankuro?"

"I didn't want to worry you. I didn't want to worry mom either, or Gaara." Kankuro looked at Gaara. "You really know?"

"I have insomnia, remember. Which, by the way, mother's been struggling to sleep at night." Gaara finished his food, setting his plate in the sink, preparing to head into work for the day, not at all looking forward to yet another meeting with the elders where they told him he was wrong for letting his mother out of the mental ward. So far, he'd not seen any sign his mother being outside of the mental ward causing and kind of problem. " _What could possibly go wrong?_ "

He managed to get a few stacks of paperwork before the meeting, yet when he got into the room sitting in his usual seat, he couldn't help but feel the tension in the room as the elders gathered. He watched them carefully, not saying anything while he waited for the agenda to come up. Again, a few of the elders noted the fact they felt his mother shouldn't have been removed from the mental ward.

More specifically, they brought up the fact there were certain villagers who didn't think her appearance after all of these years was a good thing, many of whom wanted answers regarding what Baki insisted was a private, family matter. They reminded him they'd told him that it was instead a public affair, that the public was entitled to answers regarding her appearance, but leaving it for an entire month was uncalled for. "You do realize nothing's happened."

"Yet you've asked those who patrol in the area of the Kazekage's home to be on watch, have you not?"

"That is because..." Of course, he didn't have an answer regarding why he'd not said anything regarding the vandalism going on outside of the Kazekage's house, given the fact Kankuro was doing such a good job of cleaning it up, yet he expected the person causing such mischief was, in fact, a young shinobi he didn't wish to get in trouble.

" _Rather ironic given the fact you yourself are a young shinobi. Good thing you're an insomniac rather than a sleepwalker, because we might assume you are the one doing the sleepwalking._ "

" _Not funny._ "

" _Maybe your mother was sleepwalking._ "

" _Very funny. I would have noticed Shukaku._ "

" _I know. I just wanted to pick on you a bit._ "

" _Not now._ "

"Lord Kazekage." One of the elders let out a sigh, clearing his throat. "In another matter, there is a mission to Konoha Village we would like Temari to handle.

For once, Gaara found himself reacting, his eyes widening. For some reason, this felt like a convenient move by the elders, yet he couldn't fathom the reason behind it, let alone say no. " _What could possibly go wrong?_ "


	17. Dread

"Those manipulative bastards."

Temari's hands clenched together, frustrated with how things were turning out. In the back of her mind, she knew the elders were trying to manipulate the situation so they might gain some form of control over the family, or in the very least remove her temporarily from the picture so that they might in the very least make things harder for everyone.

"Sorry, Temari."

Her eyes blinked, her head turning to look at her youngest brother. How he managed to get _that_ look on his face, a slight pout and his seafoam green eyes going puppy dog when he was normally emotionless baffled him, but something told her he did this in part because he knew what kind of effect it had on her.

"Don't apologize, but more importantly, I am okay."

"This wasn't my decision."

"I know that Gaara. That said..." Temari turned her head so she might narrow her eyes at Kankuro. "You need to step up."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You stuck Temari with mothersitting duty."

Temari's eyes blinked, turning her head to look at her younger brother. "Gaara, are you trying to make a joke?"

"No. Mother is not a baby."

She let out a sigh, turning so she could look at Kankuro again. "What Gaara said?"

"Does she really need to go out?"

"Yes." She and Gaara answered him at the same time. She shook her head, amused at her younger brother's reactions to the things going on around him, and how innocent they were. It was a stark irony, given the way he acted only a few years ago. "Look, she needs to get outside every so often, just like everyone else. Just, do your part, okay."

Looking at her two brothers

Looking at her two brothers, not speaking in front of their mother as if they were keeping secrets from the woman – Temari felt a feeling of dread as she did so. She wondered if this came from speaking about their mother while she wasn't there in the room. In fact, outside of mealtime with their mother – and she may have pondered this previously – and the times she took their mother to the honored siblings' place were the only times she really saw the woman.

She packed her things and headed out, giving her youngest brother a hug despite the fact he tensed up at first, but then the returned her hug. "Be safe Temari."

"You two be safe."

"I always am."

"And Gaara keeps me safe."

Their words did nothing towards settling the lingering feeling of dread which lingered in the pit of her stomach. Glancing up at the sky, she didn't see a single cloud in the sky, which meant hot weather through the burning sand finally cooled by the forests she needed to traverse through in order to reach Konoha. She took in deep breaths, taking in the fresh breaths of air.

Her mind constantly drifted back to the idea that elders were doing anything to get her away from their current political dilemma – the private life of the Kazekage. "Why else would they pick me of all people to deliver a letter, a rather simple mission, but probably a letter which isn't even of any importance?" A glimmer of a thought crossed her mind. " _Perhaps they're telling Lady Tsunade about mother? After all, she was her student._ "

The thought seemed like a possibility, yet the letter wasn't directed towards the Hokage specifically, which made the whole thing even more puzzling. In the back of her mind, she realized, even more, the letter was meant to get her out of the way, yet it clicked – the fact she and her siblings hadn't to her knowledge said anything to Lady Tsunade regarding the fact their mother was alive. She arrived in the village and found herself waiting at the desk where visitors to the village checked in.

"What is the business which brings you to Konoha?" Her usual escort when she was in the village showed up.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. The council of elders wasn't very specific regarding the reasons why I would be selected to deliver a message by foot, when there are other lower-ranking shinobi, let alone via one of our messenger birds."

"What a drag." Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head. "Sounds like the elders are playing games again. I honestly feel bad for the Lord Kazekage for their antics. He gets absolutely no rest because of it."

"By that you mean time to go take naps on the roof, right?" Temari felt her mouth twist into a smile. "Also, you know you can just call him Gaara, but I can't help but notice you never refer to him as Lord Gaara, but you do this with your Hokage, call her Lady Tsunade."

"Well, Gaara earned his title, so in formal situations, I'll use the title." He was referring to the fact he was speaking about Gaara in front of the shinobi in charge of the front desk area for visitors before beckoning her to follow him. "So, is the letter addressed to anyone in particular?"

"I'm guessing it's news they want to pass on to our allies, but for all, I know it simply involves..." There was still a chance the letter might be about their mother. She hated not knowing what the elders were planning. "Anyways, I guess the first task is to deliver this to the Lord Hokage even though I don't know whether this is for her personally or not."

"Is something going on?" Shikamaru definitely picked up on her mood.

"Yeah. Gaara went digging through some papers of our fathers."

"And?"

"Turns out our mother is alive."

"What a drag. How's Gaara taking it? I mean, back during the exam where I made Chunin, he told me your mother was a sacrifice."

"Not that I don't want to talk about this, but could we possibly talk about this later? I'd _love_ to talk about this conversation later." In reality, she didn't want to talk about the conversation later, yet knew she needed to talk to someone she could trust. She tilted her head towards the building where the Hokage lived. "Let's get this message to Lady Tsunade."

"Alright." Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck, walking with her to the building. In the back of her mind, she found herself looking for a nice bath in the hot springs, which would help relieve some of her stress regarding what was going on around her. They arrived at the office, and he opened the door. "Lady Tsunade, the sister of the Lord Kazekage is here paying us a visit."

"Oh. Come on in Temari." The woman sat at the desk, smiling at her while Shikamaru left to attend to other duties until his official duty of escorting the sister of the Lord Kazekage came up. Apparently, the choice for Kankuro varied a whole lot more, yet Temari brushed this aside. "What do I owe this pleasure to?"

"Oh? The elders sent me with a message. Not a clue what's in it." Temari handed over the letter while Tsunade opened the letter, reading whatever was inclosed.

"Well, this seems a bit trifle to send you out here."

"Then they didn't mention what happened recently?"

"Mention..." Tsunade looked up, her eyes revealing a bit of concern. She stood, holding up her hand. "Don't. You know that I can not discuss political matters of Suna unless..."

"It's a private matter they're trying to say is a political matter, but..." Temari swallowed, worrying her lip slightly before continuing what she said. "I do think it involves you."

"How so?"

Temari's hands tightened into a couple of fists. "It involves one of your former students.'

"On of..." Tsunade took a deep breath. "What is going on Temari?"

"Our mother is alive."

"I see." Tsunade then said, "Shizune, could you bring Temari and I some tea? I think we need to sit down and chat."

"I..." Shizune made a slight bow, yet she seemed slightly taken aback by the news. "I'll go get some tea."

"I hope you don't mind her being a part of this conversation when she gets back, given the fact she knows Karura and Yashimaru." Tsunade waved to the chair in front of her. "Have a seat." When Temari sat down, the Hokage finally asked the first question. "How exactly did the three of you find out she's alive? Actually, tell me the whole story."

Temari took a deep breath. "We never cleaned out father's office. Nobody did. Maybe we shouldn't have left the task to Gaara, but there are documents in that office only the Lord Kazekage or those he approves of can look at, nor could we have known Gaara would have found out as he did. I wish so much he hadn't, but I don't even understand how he could have kept this secret for so long."

"Your father you mean." The door opened and Shizune entered carrying a trey so they might have a proper tea.

"Yes. Our mother's insane." Temari heard the items on the trey clink in a manner that indicated Shizune was listening.

"Insane? Lady Karura isn't insane. She's one of the most intelligent..."

"Shizune, prepare the tea and let Temari speak please."

Temari let her hands clench together as did her mouth. "She was most definitely in the mental ward, but she was the one who sealed Shukaku into Gaara, not our father." Temari watched Shizune work on preparing the tea, yet also noted the look on the woman's face. "That – that's the part Gaara knows. Kankuro and I don't want him to know the rest, but have asked her not to tell him."

"Tell him what? The fact you brought it up means that you want to tell me."

"She's been training at Lady Chiyo's, but she said the same thing as your assistant, that our mother isn't insane. That..." Temari's mouth tightened. "She keeps talking about this nonsense regarding how Gaara's needed for the future, that something's going to happen, but..." Temari took a deep breath. "Lady Chiyo confirmed what our mother said, that if they'd not sealed Shukaku into Gaara he wouldn't have lived at all. I've not told Kankuro that yet."

Tsunade took a deep breath, let out a deep sigh, and then spoke. "I see. That is a lot to take in."

For some reason, Tsunade felt nervous, reaching in for her desk for something, pulling out what looked like a raffle ticket and the newspaper, a look of worry on her face. Shizune placed a cup of tea right into Temari's hands. "Here you go."

The cup cracked while Tsunade continued staring at the two items in front of her. She then looked up at Shizune. "Shizune, can you summon Sakura and Shikamaru for me, but anyone else you can think of?"

"I, yes mam."

"What..."

"Temari, I think you should head back to Suna, but I'm sending a few of my Shinobi with you. Simply put, I've got a bad feeling and would rather be safe than sorry, alright."

"I, yes."


	18. Approaching Nightmare

She didn't like the fact Temari was leaving yet didn't say anything. Many times she took a deep breath, she wondered if voicing the fact, the nightmare – her nightmare – was ever so close. There wasn't the option of using the fan either when Temari left, yet she found herself becoming nervous during mealtimes, watching Gaara eat; his older sister did a good job of making sure he ate enough, yet her attempts...

Kankuro didn't like them. He glared at her, making her feel even more nervous, proceeded by him telling Gaara different advice which definitely made Gaara even more confused. She then found herself stuck in the home, with no way of getting to Lady Chiyo's to plan for the nightmare she knew was coming, making her think she wouldn't at all be prepared for what would come, but the visions became even more vivid.

She also wasn't blind to the fact the village wasn't pleased with her reappearance. Some never liked her in the first place, while others – her reappearance was definitely creepy, yet there was the fact the place she was this entire time was also, it seemed, well known as if one of the elders leaked the information. She didn't try pleading with Kankuro, not wanting to get on his bad side.

"I'm sorry."

Gaara's words at the breakfast table made Karura and Kankuro startle. "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because I've done something wrong."

"Gaara, we've gone over this many times." Kankuro rolled his eyes, yet seemed annoyed; Karura watched her children since she got out and discovered apologizing for things he shouldn't have to apologize for was a common practice for her youngest.

"Why do you think that?"

"Why..." Kankuro startled, looking at his mother for a few minutes. "What are you even apologizing for?"

"I told you. I did something wrong." The answer from Gaara and other interactions she'd observed said Kankuro wasn't careful in picking the words he used with his younger brother. "As for why I think I've done something wrong, things have been rather awkward since Temari left."

Karura found herself looking at her elder son, swallowing. "I think it's just because..."

She didn't know how to put that. Kankuro sighed. "I don't know how to act around mom now that Temari's not here."

"Oh. Perhaps you should have followed her advice and taken mother to see Lady Chiyo."

"You..." Kankuro pointed his finger at Gaara. "Did you purposefully manipulate the conversation on me?"

"No. It's the logical conclusion, isn't it?"

"Maybe not." Karura wondered how Temari did it, quickly concluding that Temari simply knew both of their personalities that well, yet Karura was still a stranger in the lives of her own children.

"Maybe not?"

"Well..." She took a deep breath. "It's certainly not a conclusion most people would come to. I mean, none of us know how to act around each other, right?"

"Yeah. That." Kankuro stood up. "I'm heading out. Be sure to eat something before you head to the office Gaara."

"Okay." Gaara was, of course, picking at his food until Karura decided to make him something he could take with him. She found it curious that he wondered if cooking was something Temari and Kankuro were supposed to supervise her on, in which she learned he was still supervised when cooking.

"Do they think you'll burn the place down?"

Gaara tilted his head. "That's funny."

This honestly didn't make any sense until he mentioned something regarding making unintentional messes that Temari didn't need to clean up. "I see." Knowing tonight was the night her nightmare would occur, she said, "Be safe Gaara."

He stared at her, almost as if finding what she said amusing before saying, "You're funny. Temari's a lot like you."

He left then, making her wish she'd told him more, yet remembering her promise to her two other children. " _Plus, there are certain ways you can't interfere with the visions. One of them is telling a person what is going to happen to them, particularly when you don't know all of the details._ "

She found herself lost in thought, none of her children returning home until a knock at the door came. She didn't move, knowing full well one of the rules was not to open the door for anyone. The door opened and Baki stepped in, placing a rather long package against the wall, his eyes drilling into her. "Can I ask what this is about?"

Karura found herself standing up. "I'm not quite sure. Is that from Lady Chiyo?"

Baki let out a sigh. "Look, I don't like going behind your children's back, so I'd like an explanation of why Lady Chiyo is sending you tools a shinobi would use despite the fact you are far from being reinstated to active duty. The chances are painfully slim, you know, given the fact you were in the mental ward."

"I want to protect Gaara."

"Are you even in the..." Baki let out a sigh, glancing away. "I'm sorry, Lady Karura, but I do have to wonder if you're in the right mental state to be doing such a thing." He then looked her in the eye. "It's my job to keep him safe, to see to his wellbeing."

"How much have Kankuro and Temari told you?"

"Enough."

"Let me be more specific. Have they told you about..."?

"Are you referring to the fact you sealed Shukaku into Gaara – he told me that? Or are you referring to these visions of yours?"

"Then you do know."

"Lady Karura..."

"You said it's your job to keep him safe, right?"

The man let out a sigh. "Lady Karura, please say what you want to say."

"Tonight, please do your best to keep my son safe."

"Wait, it's tonight?" Baki stared at her, horrified. "Why didn't you..."

"I'm confined to this house Baki, I can't speak of this in front of Gaara, yet I don't think Kankuro would have listened. Plus, there is something happening tonight that needs to happen."

"What do you need?"

The question honestly surprised her. "I'm surprised you trust me like this."

"I don't, but I also would rather not have anything happen to Lord Gaara if there is anything to these visions of yours. I'd never forgiven myself. As such, I'll take responsibility for you leaving the house tonight, but if it doesn't happen, no more talk of these visions Lady Karura."

"That's a deal. As for the other question, what do I need?" Karura's mouth pushed together, remembering a later part of her dream, one which started occurring only recently which involved Kankuro. "I need a person with wind abilities and a puppet master, but I need the two of them to stick together."

"Wait? Did you see Kankuro going off on his own."

"It's complicated. Kankuro, he's going to tell you not to worry tonight, but you'll have reason to trust him then. As for where I'm headed, I'll be heading to the entrance when the fight starts, but if you can head there with Kankuro – do. Gaara will succeed in protecting the village."


	19. Outside

Of course, stepping outside of the house meant breaking at least one if not more rules her children put into place for her, yet as she looked up at the sky, she found herself not regretting her decision in one bit. Not regretting didn't mean her stomach wasn't churning from the sight above her. The nightmare which plagued her mind – it was the worst nightmare she'd ever had, bearing down on her from above.

How she knew when to step out of the home, she didn't know. The gut feeling – it wasn't one she could easily explain, yet said feeling started her stomach-churning before she saw what was going on above her. Karura's throat caught, tightening while she looked up at the sky, seeing the sight of her own son up so high battling against an unknown threat to the village, although, in the back of her mind something told her the person above was using the village against the boy.

Taking a deep breath, she headed towards the entrance, walking quickly. Very few paid her any mind as she walked toward the interest, their focus instead on the battle above, but one person did call out. "Should you be out right now, Lady Karura? I was under the impression you weren't allowed out if you were not escorted by Lady Temari or Lord Kankuro."

"I'm worried about Gaara."

"The Lord Kazekage?" The person glanced up, letting her slip away as they said, "Well that makes sense I guess. Be careful."

She took a deep breath, noting how he talked down to her as if she couldn't take care of herself, yet she wondered if she should blame him for that, given the fact she was locked in the mental ward for so long. " _I'm a medical-nin. I should know having a mental disorder doesn't mean a person can't live a functional life. But..._ " Another thought crossed her mind. " _He likely isn't_."

She continued walking, slowly getting closer to the entrance. Her eyes widened upon seeing two shinobi standing there, staring at the sky when she arrived. In all honesty, she couldn't describe what it looked like beyond the fact it was large and would definitely cause damage in the village, although she knew what would happen as the shield formed above her. She swallowed, a shiver running down her spine as an image of what would come next – a memory from her dreams – her nightmares.

The second explosion – one involving the protective shell around Gaara came next.

"Gaara!" Karura's head turned towards where she heard the sound of her oldest son, yet she didn't yet see him. "We've got to go back and help him Baki!"

"Kankuro! We've already given orders to the men regarding what they need to do."

"I don't know what's more important than saving my..." There came a slight pause. "Baki! Don't walk away from me." They appeared then and she saw Kankuro freeze upon seeing her, then his eyes narrowed. "What is she doing here?" His eyes then drifted to the two shinobi who stood there looking horrified. "What..."

"Lord Baki. We came and inspected the entrance as you asked, but went no farther."

"They're all dead and were going to inform you when the attack started."

Karura looked at Baki realizing he'd tried to do something to prevent what went down even though this would end up being an impossibility. "I see."

"Baki. How..."

"Apparently your mother isn't insane, or at least not as insane as we've thought."

"Wh..." Kankuro's voice went lower, turning into a grumble. "We need to save Gaara."

"He's taking Gaara that way." Karura pointed to the entrance. "Can we please hurry?" She turned. "And be careful regarding traps."

She walked through, her nose picking up on the scent of blood and death, her heart going out to the families of the shinobi who lost loved ones. She at first didn't hear Kankuro but heard Baki tell the two to wait for him and not let anyone else through until he gave the order. She saw a rather familiar puppet which in turn made her eyes narrow. She felt someone grab her elbow. "What do you think..."

"Ah..." A rather gravelly voice said, interrupting whatever Kankuro was trying to say. "I was under the impression you were dead, Karura."

"Sasori."

She felt the person who held her elbow – Kankuro – turn so he might look at the person. "Wait. As in Sasori of the Red Sand?"

"Oh, you know me."

"Since you know about Sasori, I shouldn't have to tell you that you need to avoid letting any of his weapons touch you, but to also be prepared for traps? Also..." Sasori always used traps in his fighting style, filled with poison. She'd not see the puppet, not realized it was Sasori when she saw her dream, making her mentally curse her luck. However, she also knew the younger shinobi well. A well-trained medical-nin did, in fact, have a chance, given the history of Lady Chiyo and Lady Tsunade. "Stay out of my way Kankuro. Be ready for the other person – Baki as well."

Her surmise proved rather true – she did have a good handle on what was going on, following Tsunade's rules of protecting oneself, though in the back of her mind there was this inkling regarding the fact she was fighting Sasori of all people. She heard Kankuro's sound of surprise as she smashed something, finding herself glad for the months-long training at Chiyo's place, yet also found herself pleased with the level of damage enacted on Sasori's puppet which shielded him while listening to him complain about things taking to long.

"You always were impatient, so childish."

Her knuckles – a few splinters were stuck in the knuckles as she moved, yet she'd not yet been cut when she heard the sound of someone else – the person's voice she did not recognize, let out a yelp of displeasure just as she felt a slight nick in her shoulder. "Sasori, my man..."

"We're retreating Deidara."

"Without..."

"Without the Jinchuriki. Hiruko's sustained to much damage to not leave a trail if you're focused on carrying away."

"After I..."

"Yeah, well, I have my brother and your chakra was definitely spent on your battle with him."

Karura breathed a sigh of relief while her vision grew cloudy, hearing Sasori say something about not expecting Karura as a part of the equation. She knew they left, but soon found herself collapsed on the ground while Kankuro called out to her, the sound of his voice – he wasn't happy with the outcome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those familiar with the series, they may be wondering why Sasori didn't use some of the attacks he used on his grandmother and Chiyo. The answer is - there wasn't time, nor was that the best place. At the entrance they could easily be joined, but Karura managed damage which would mean that they could easily be tracked, as such ruining their plans.


	20. New Beginnings

Gaara's eyes flickered open, closing instantly upon seeing the bright light.

He turned his head slightly, his nose picking up on the scent of hospital disinfectant, yet mentally he didn't understand how he ended up in Konoha's hospital. After all, the only place he'd ever been in the hospital was Konoha; his sand had a way of protecting him from anything which might harm him, though there were some exceptions to this rule. The last place he remembered _being_ was Suna, but the last thing he remembered...

His eyes snapped open despite the manner in which the light hurt his head from sleeping as long as he had. Gaara closed his eyes, pushing himself up from the bed. He wasn't dressed in his normal clothing or the clothing of the Kazekage; instead, he wore the clothing one wore when they were in the hospital. "I feel like a fool for not realizing there was anything added to my sand."

"You do realize you said that out loud, right?" The sound of Shikamaru's voice made Gaara turn his head and look at the Shinobi from Konoha, yet Gaara's seafoam green eyes picked up on various clues such as what the building was made of which in turn clued him in to the fact they were in Suna. He also still felt as if his chakra were majorly depleted for some reason.

" _Ooh, he beat me to it this time, didn't he?_ "

"Shut up Shukaku."

"What a drag, having him talk in your head." Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head, his mouth twisting into a frown. "So, I've got to ask. How are you feeling?"

Gaara looked around, yet what he looked for was definitely not in the room – Shikamaru was the only one keeping him company. "Where's Temari?"

"That really didn't answer my question you know." Shikamaru brought a leg up where he sat, placing his hands in the lap. "Look. She's fine, but she's going to want to know how you're feeling. More importantly, you know she'll know if you're not telling the truth, right?"

"Right." Gaara looked at his hands, thinking about how he felt. His body did in fact hurt, yet there was also the fact, "My Chakra's low still. I definitely feel sore, but my head also hurts."

"Well, considering what happened, that's not surprising." Shikamaru leaned forward. "What you did had to use up a lot of your chakra, but you're not used to your sand shield failing."

"The sand shield worked though."

"Oh. You're trying to say that for once your perfect defense was too perfect?"

Gaara nodded his head, pleased Shikamaru picked up on what he was trying to say regarding the matter. "I'd like to see my siblings."

"You do realize you're supposed to be resting, right?"

"I want to see them." In other words, he didn't care what he was supposed to be doing and moved his legs out of the hospital bed. Looking down at his toes, he wiggled them, feeling the cold floor underneath. " _The floor feels good."_ Standing up, on the other hand, did not. Gaara felt himself teeter on his feet for a bit until Shikamaru reached out and steadied him.

"What a drag. Well, since you're going to be stubborn about this, it will just be easier to take them where they are, though truth be told, I think your older sister is going to kill me."

Gaara let himself be led by the other teen to another room in the hospital. The way the doctors looked at him – it reminded him of the day he discovered his mother was alive right before. " _There's something they don't want to tell me._ "

When they arrived at the room, Gaara nearly bumped into Sakura – another shinobi from Konoha he met during the first chunin exam he participated in. He bowed his head slightly, remembering how he tried killing her, purposefully avoiding eye contact in case he made her feel uncomfortable. "Oh. Lord Kazekage." She then changed from formal to informal. "Gaara, you really should be resting."

"Did one of my siblings get hurt?" In the back of his mind, he couldn't think of any other reason why one of his siblings might avoid visiting him in the hospital room. He didn't wait for an answer, stepping into the room. Temari looked up at him, her eyes wide.

"Ah, Gaara."

Kankuro let out a sigh. "Gaara, you're supposed to be resting."

"That's the third time..." Gaara paused, his eyes focusing in on who was in the hospital bed. "Wait. What happened to mother?"

"You weren't the only one who was amazing that night."

"Kankuro!" Temari's hand held onto their mother's

Gaara watched his mother stir, her eyes opening. "No. It's alright. I'd like to see Gaara as well."

"You're both supposed to be resting."

He hurried over, sitting himself down in one of the seas nearby, completely unsure of what to say to his mother. A thought did cross his mind. " _Did I almost lose her again?_ "

"I'm alright, Gaara. Lady Tsunade sent one of her students. Sakura removed the poison."

"You were poisoned? Why?"

"Because mom – well, she went up against Sasori. Lady Chiyo was furious."

"He is her grandson."

"She was furious for not being there. I told her I didn't realize until I was there that it would be Sasori, but she made sure I had some shinobi tools."

"Why?" Gaara didn't bat an eyelid. "Why did she provide you some shinobi tools? Why were you where you were?"

His mother's eyes widened slightly, but he saw Temari look away. "Well, see... mom loves you."

There were the words Gaara found himself struggling with ever since his mother appeared. "Uncle Yashimaru ..."

"Can you forget what that monster said! Mom loves you. And, she's not insane! Okay!" Gaara tensed up. He looked his sister in the eye, the tone of voice Temari used frightening him, if not outright confusing him. Her eyes widened upon realizing the effect her tone of voice had on him. "Gaara. I'm sorry." He watched Temari glance away, not looking any of them in the eye. "I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"For starters, I'm sorry I yelled." Temari took a deep breath. "We also didn't tell you why..." Her mouth pushed together.

"Mom sealed Shukaku in you so that you would be born alive, but she had these visions predicting that this would happen, though apparently didn't have certain specifics."

"Kankuro."

"Oh." Gaara watched them. "What do you mean by being born alive?"

"She means you wouldn't have been born if Shukaku wasn't sealed in you. Shukaku is why you were born alive." Kankuro remained blunt as ever.

"Oh. That makes sense."

"That makes sense?" Temari watched him, the corners of her mouth twisting. She then realized something. "Wait. You're more bothered by that then the visions?"

"Why would I be bothered by the visions? Lady Tsunade knows something bad is going to happen when she wins big."

Kankuro stared. "What does that have to do with our mother? I mean, how could you..."

"She's our grandmother." He watched Karura stare at him, contemplating what he said.

"And how did you come to that conclusion?" Kankuro folded his arms across his chest.

"Because Temari looks like Lady Tsunade, except much younger. Oh, and there is a character in one of Jiraya's books – _TheTale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_ I believe."

"Wait." Temari's eyes blinked, but all three stared at him, their expression becoming a bit horrified for some strange reason.

"There is this character who has this bird creature who has Lady Tsunade's personality, but is flat-chested like mother."

Kankuro facepalmed. "Gaara, that doesn't mean anything.

"The name of the bird creature is Karura." Both of his siblings stared at him with more horror, before looking at their mother.

"Um, Gaara. You said you've read his books. Does this mean you've read the _Icha Icha_ series?"

"Should I have not? I found them under the bed in yours and father's room."

"I was afraid that's where you found them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those not familiar with the Naruto series, the Icha Icha series is a series of adult novels which is popular among females.


End file.
